Lani
by newwriter24
Summary: Two weeks was all she was given. First, of, it wasn't any ordinary project a widow of two had to endure. Elsa Anderson was assigned to go on vacation with her family - No work, no excuses. She hoping for a peaceful trip to a quiet beach town to bring her family closer until a ghost from past changed the tides for her and her family. [Modern AU, Elsanna, Non-related/Non-Incest]
1. Chapter 1 - Her And The Ocean

**To start off, thank you for finding my story. I haven't written any stories for a very long time and this will be my first official Elsanna one. If you're up for a good story even though the chapters can be lengthy, you're in luck! Will drop mini notes here and there before each chapter to get a better understanding of the story. As for now, this fanfic is rated T - Will send out an update if the rating changes. Enjoy!**

* * *

It was the roaring waves that were crashing against the bedded coastal rocks drew her back home.

How the smooth beige blanket of sand tickled underneath the blonde's pale skinned feet. What struck her the most was the sight of a woman in a soft yellow summer dress standing behind the crystal blue ocean. Her gorgeous russet silk hair swaying against the salty air.

In the distance, she gazed beyond the horizon line where the sky met the sea. She loved watching the giant clouds towering above the shade of blue, like skyscrapers on a city skyline. The brunette was tempted to touch one of them, but, she was miles away to have the chance.

The blonde's eyes couldn't stop looking at her. Endless gazes - admiring her natural beauty.

A sudden breeze nearly blew away the beauty's summer hat away, but, she managed to hold onto it until the playful wind calmed down. Without a care in the world, the brunette slowly turned her head, revealing her graceful face to the lovestruck blonde.

"Elsa," said the brunette softly.

With the loud beeping cry of an alarm clock, the blonde jolted up her computer chair, unfortunately being dragged away from a sudden dream. Her clock continued to scream until she decided to shut it up. The tired woman lifted her head, resting her aching body upright on her chair and tried to read the time.

"7:30…" She let out a large yawn while stretching her arms. The overworked woman paused and blinked twice after taking another look at the clock. "What! 7:30? Oh crap."

Without wasting time, Elsa ran out of her home office. While maneuvering through scattered toys, skateboards lying around and even smelly gym shorts - she managed to climb up the flight of stairs to the second floor. She navigated down a corridor of doors and decorated walls of picture frames until she came to halt at the front of a bedroom door - fitted for a young boy who was obsessed with stickers of every animal under the sun.

Elsa gave the door a knock before entering inside. "Sweetie, are you awake?" She called out to the little person with his spiky blonde hair sticking out from his comforter and pile of stuffed animals. Elsa walked over to the bed while maneuvering through another pile of toys and scattered clothes. "I'll never know whom you inherited this habit." She let out a sigh. Her crystal blue eyes looked down at the golden locks, her gentle fingers combed through the field of strains until she leaned over and whispered something sweet through her little boy's ear.

"Sweetie, Theo, please wake up. We have another busy week ahead of us." Elsa cast a mischievous grin whenever her eyes widen, generating an idea she knew her son won't say 'no' to. "If you don't wake up now, I won't buy that new video game you've been asking for…"

With those sudden words, the little boy managed to move, budge a bit, until he right away jolts right up on his bed.

"Are you serious?!" Theo shouted with excitement.

Elsa nodded. "If you get ready for school in fifteen minutes we'll stop by at the game shop this weekend."

Theo's smile stretched from ear to ear. "I'll get ready in ten!"

The little six-year-old pulled the over covers and jumped out of his bed. He dashed out of his room without tripping over the mess on the floor and locked the bathroom door down the hall.

The blonde shook her head, letting out a chuckle before walking out of her youngest son's room. "Now time to wake up…"

When she was about to walk down the hall, she heard the sound of a doorknob slowly turning. At the corner of her eye, she saw her other son's bedroom door opening, soon to reveal her eldest son emerging out of his sleeping den still stuck in a daze.

"Good morning, sweetie." Elsa cast a genuine smile at him.

The twelve-year-old, soon to be thirteen, paused from rubbing his sapphire eyes and looked up to see his mother casually greeting him with her usual morning smile routine.

"Morning." He returned with a frown instead of a smile.

Elsa took a moment to glance at her son who looked more of her wife, with their similar russet brown hair and bold sapphire eyes, but, what set them apart was how her wife was more energetic than him.

"Morning? Where's 'Good morning, Mom?'" Elsa chuckled, planting her hands on her hips. "C'mon Connor, shouldn't you be excited for your last week of school?"

Connor shrugged his shoulder. "What's to be excited for? My summer is going to be boring anyway." He never removed that frown, it was permanently stuck on his face which gave off an awkward vibe between him and his mother. Silence stood between the two of them until Elsa decided to head down to the kitchen to quickly make breakfast and lunches for three.

"Connor."

The young brunet looked over his shoulder to see Elsa's crystal blue orbs glued at his sapphire eyes. At the back of his mind, he never knew how the woman managed to carry herself like there was always a spring in her feet.

"Yeah?" He replied.

"When your brother is done in here, tell him to make his bed before heading down." Connor nodded. "And also, please turn that frown upside down for me. No need for you to be this sad early in the morning."

Connor heard the soft chuckle coming from his mother, still casting _that_ hopeful smile on her porcelain face. Without saying another word, he simply nodded his head and turned his back to the bathroom door, patiently waiting for his turn until he heard his mother climbing down the flight of stairs. As for Elsa, she stopped climbing down and released a weary sigh. She closed her eyes for a brief moment and chanted, 'Everything is okay,' until she opened her eyes again.

* * *

After turning off all the lights and checking if the windows are closed shut, Elsa went outside to meet up with the boys. The two young brothers were patiently waiting for their mother by the family Land Rover while exchanging a couple of yawns. Theo, a little bear who doesn't know about personal space, careless leaned against Connor, using his arm to rest the side of his head. As for the older brother, he quietly sighed and rolled his eyes - used to his baby brother's clinging attitude.

"Okay, ready to go?" Elsa asked them.

"Don't forget to lock the house, mom." Connor frankly reminded her.

Elsa blinked twice. "Oh, right!" The blonde blushed before digging through her bag, in search of her keys. After a few seconds, she felt a cold piece of metal. She slowly took it out to find an assortment of keys, trinkets, and store passes in one large keychain attached to her old university lanyard. Then she pressed the little button from a tiny remote that was meant to lock or unlock their home. However, she unlocked something else. Over her shoulders, the white Rover beeps while its lights blinked twice.

"Wrong remote, mommy," Theo stated before letting out another yawn.

Elsa grunted. "Not again." She turned around the remote to see the Rover's company's logo.

"Didn't you download that app last week to help you lock the house and turn off the stuff inside?" Connor's question reminded Elsa the time she actually scared the boys by accidentally butt-dialing the house blender to unexpectedly turn on.

"I am a senior architect. Surrounded by many techs at work and I can't function with a simple home app? C'mon Elsa." She whispered underneath her breath.

The workaholic mother grabbed her smartphone and searched for the app. When she finally found it, she suddenly heard the sudden beep coming from the front door of the house and saw the doorknobs' lights turn blue. Elsa tilted her head to the side. Then looked over her shoulder to see Connor having his smartphone out.

"How did you do that?" Elsa asked him.

"Magic." He shrugged his shoulders. "C'mon mom we're going to be late." Connor playfully poked Theo's tiny nose, signaling to get off him.

Elsa walked over to the boys after collecting herself. "You know I almost got it." She tried to explain to her eldest son.

Connor opened the back passenger door, then looked over at his mother. "Yeah, but, you had _your_ chance. " He responded in a nonchalant way.

Elsa carried a firm look in her face, eyes glued at Connor with her eyebrows narrowed and lips closed shut.

"Okay, I am awake! Let's go!" Elsa flinched over her baby's outburst while Connor rolled his eyes at Theo who tends to have these moments.

Elsa laughed. "Okay, come on you two let's head out."

When the Andersons buckled themselves inside the Rover, Elsa slowly backed out of their driveway and onto a sleepy suburban street.

"Mommy, can we have a dog?" Theo asked when he saw their oldest neighbor and with his hefty looking lab.

Connor grunted. "Here we go again."

"What do you mean?" Theo raised an eyebrow, looking a bit confused.

Elsa chuckled. "We've gone through this sweetie. We just don't have the time to take care of a dog." She explained while making their way down the street to a four-way stop.

Theo slouched down on his seat. Arms crossed as he watched the familiar scenery of a normal suburban neighborhood goes by. Large two story homes with luxurious cars parked in every driveway. Grasses neatly mowed and all the trash in each home are neatly placed in their right assigned bin.

The six-year-old let out a sigh. Secretly, the little one grew bored of the setting. He looked to his side to check on Connor who was quietly playing with his first point and shoot camera. Theo's eyes grew wide. He moved closer to his older brother without removing his big sapphire eyes at the camera. "Why did you bring that? Mom told you not to. It was Mummy's." The little blond whispered underneath his breath.

Connor shrugged his shoulders. "Technically, it's mine now. Mummy gave it to be me before…" The brunet paused for a moment. He caught sight of Theo's sapphire eyes, similar color as their other mother. How the shade of blue reminded him of her and the days he used to spend time with her. Her laugh and her voice calling out his name just echoed deeply inside his head.

"Before what?" Theo's voice brought Connor back to reality while getting Elsa's attention from the front.

"What's going on back there?" The boys' mother asked kindly.

"Connor!" Just as Theo was about to speak, Connor cut him off by placing his hand over his brother's mouth, but, the little goofball fought back and licked the palm of his older brother's hand.

"Ew! Theo, gross!" Connor shouted while removing his hand.

"Theodore, what did you do?" Elsa took a glance up at the rearview mirror.

"Gave Connor's hand a French kiss." Theo grinned devilishly.

"More like doggy licked my hand," Connor corrected him.

Elsa crooked an eyebrow. "Bananas, where did you learn that?"

"Violet!" Theo stated proudly.

Elsa rolled her eyes. "Gotta talk to her and Mrs. Incredibles about that."

The single mom of two pulled up to the front of the boys' schools. An old farmland converted to house two schools, one elementary and one middle school. The boys have to go through a small main building before entering the property. As the Rover entered the caravan of minivans, grand SUVs, and convertible sports cars, Elsa parked the car and went out to helped the boys. Even though the two carried light whenever the school year drew closer to the end, she still followed traditions. 'Always help the kids before sending them off to school.' Something Elsa's wife thought of whenever they first had Connor and had to go through Pre-school both being lost parents.

"Okay, you two should have your lunches in your bags. And I have three meetings today, but, will try to get home on time later today. Violet will be at the bus stop to pick you two up after school. Any questions?" Elsa was always a planner speaking to her sons as if they were her junior architects at work rather than a parent trying to speak to them in their own language.

"No, I'm good. Bye." Connor turned around and began walking away.

Elsa blinked twice. "What no goodbye hug?" She placed two hands on her hips.

Theo tugged a piece of Elsa's dress shirt. His mother crouched down until she was staring at him, eye level. His adorable sapphire eyes staring at Elsa's regal crystal blue orbs.

"What is it my little monkey?" Elsa asked while giving his tiny nose a light poke.

Without saying a word, the little blond walked up to his mother and wrapped his arms around her neck, giving her a warm embrace. Elsa softly chuckled and returned the favor by hugging her son even tighter. A little thing she adored about him. After hearing the bell before the late bell, Theo and Elsa let go, said their goodbyes and departed ways.

When Elsa went inside her Rover, she took a minute to watch her little boy bravely climb up the steps with great confidence. If her wife saw their son right now, she would be proud of him as any other parent would be.

Just as Elsa was about to shed a tear, the sound of a car horn honking at her disturbed her quiet time. She looked through her rearview mirror to see a crazy looking soccer mom with outrageous volumized hair, way larger than her head; all decorated in glitter. To make things crazier, she wore popping makeup, neon green lipsticks, and plum purple eyeshadow. The mother of five was yelling at her through her cracked front window.

Elsa simply ignored the lady and pulled off the curb and drove to work without taking another gaze. But laughed her way there, not knowing she was about to be late for her first meeting of the day.

* * *

When she arrived at the main lobby of her workplace, Elsa's personal assistant rushed over - notifying her she was fifteen minutes late for her meeting. The blonde's crystal blue eyes widen. She carefully handed her belongs to her fussy helper beside her portfolio book and tablet. The senior architect huddled those two items underneath her arm and dashed to the conference room. Elsa paused at the very front of two large wooden double doors. Her face inches away from the surface and her left hand wasn't trembling from reaching the door handle. This isn't the first time being late to a meeting. That wasn't the thing causing her mind to buzz with negative thoughts. It was the very person running the meeting caused her to act uneasy. Without wasting another second, she slowly opened the door and confidently walked in without a care in the world. With her head held up high, she strolled over to a grand oval shaped table at the center of the room. She careful searched for her seat, ignoring the assortments of familiar and different faces turning their heads, glancing at her with a mixture of astonished expressions to exchanging of words.

Elsa assumed they were talking about her. At the very front, Elsa glanced up to see her boss, the proud owner of this fine company.

"Good morning," Elsa whispered kindly to him. In return, he nodded. Right away, Elsa knew her morning was going to be a long one. And right after, another one right after with her father.

After getting her team of junior architects working on their latest project, Elsa bravely walked out of the designing room, guided herself down a busy hallway which was filled with foot traffic coming from each direction making the senior architect waive through like a busy city street. At the very end of the hallway, she saw another set of double doors in front of her. Elsa took a deep breath before knocking on the door. After a couple of knock, she heard her father's voice telling her to come in. From the tone of his voice, she knew what he was going to discuss - nothing new for this experienced architect.

"Elsa, please take a seat." Agnarr asked her kindly, extending a hand, pointing at one of the cushioned chairs across his desk.

Elsa shook her head. "I'll stand, thank you. These 'talks' tend to be short, so quickly sing that 'old song' of yours, I have important deadlines to meet this month."

Agnarr raised both of his brows, firm lips slightly went down after being surprised to hear those blunt words escaping from his daughter's mouth. The old CEO shook his head and clear his throat.

"Please, this talk will take some time." Mr. Anderson patiently stated before seating on his chair. Elsa crooked an eyebrow, a signature facial expression the old man grew to know over the years. Agnarr chuckled. "C'mon, taking a seat, we need to have a talk."

Elsa obeyed his orders and sat down with her back pressed against the chair and one leg bent over her knee. Her arms relaxing on the armrest with her hands dangling at the edge, sitting like a regal queen waiting to hear what her father has to say.

"Is it about this month's projects? Don't worry we'll have that new condo-complex down the Mariana be ready next week. We still have to verify the rooftop garden." Elsa continued to talk, but, she slowly stopped when Agnarr lifted his hand. A gesture she grew to know about her father.

A patience, humble and quiet man who prefers listening than speaking. Something Elsa found unusual for a CEO to run a massive business. And yet, she only experienced him being angry once in her life and she was the reason for that unexpected outburst during her teenage years.

"Then what is this about?" Elsa quirked an eyebrow.

Agnarr slowly turned his desk chair to face the grand high scale glass windows. A million-dollar view of downtown Arendelle City looking over the bay. He took a moment to watch the animated metropolitan below before shifting his attention to look beyond the bay to see where it met the ocean. In the distance, he saw the horizon line where the water kissed the sky, causing him to let out a satisfied sigh.

"When was the last time you and the boys went on a vacation?" Agnarr slightly turned his face to catch a glance of his daughter's face. He patiently watched her count her fingers and shaking her head in between her calculations, whispering quietly, not wanting him to hear her. The confused look on Elsa's face caused him to let out another chuckle. "I thought so."

Elsa paused. "Wait, what? What do you mean 'I thought so?'"

"Look, Elsa, I know it's been tough since Jane's passing. Especially for Connor and Theodore. It's been two years, my love, you three need a break. A well-deserved vacation."

Elsa's eyes widen. Her mind suddenly becoming wild, flashbacks quickly escaping from the deep corner of her brain and soon began toying with her emotions. A sudden image of her late wife came to view before her very eyes. A deluge of memories began to slowly pinch the blonde's mind like needles, while inside her heart's strings were painfully being tugged. Especially when she saw a moment when her family was together during one of their trips down by the beach.

"Elsa…"

The blonde blinked twice. Her father's voice managed to guide her back to reality after a brief trip from the past. And yet, her heart never stopped beating heavily.

"Do you know what I am talking about, love?" Elsa saw his father's soft emerald eyes staring back at her.

"I-I can't afford to take a break right now." Elsa nervous responded with a husky voice. "The firm has important deadlines to meet this month and…"

Agnarr lifted his hand again. "No, Elsa, you _need_ this vacation. I'll handle your team and the rest of the firm. I created this company remember. I know how to run this circus." He smiled.

"No, I can't." Elsa stood up.

Agnarr's eyes widen. He glanced up to see his daughter firmly starring back him. Deja vu for the old CEO to see this gesture coming from Elsa after all those reckless teenage years. And once again, he has to deal with her stubbornness.

"Please Elsa, think about it. You barely had the time grief." Elsa began to walk away and stood by one of the windows - looking down below, watching the people going about their morning. Then went on doing the same thing her father was looking at. She shifted her attention at the giant clouds by the horizon. She cast a small smile as her serious eyes soften for a moment, but never let her guard down.

"Elsa, don't do the same thing I've done in the past. The boys need you now than ever. Especially Theo. But Connor too. He's the oldest and he will need your guidance. But remember you need them too…"

The blonde continued to look over at the horizon. She gazed over the ocean waters coming in and out of the bay. It's been years since she last step foot on a sandy beach, heck she's been itching to get back on the water. Just her and the ocean.

"Elsa?" Agnarr continued to stare at her, wondering what she was thinking.

Elsa took a deep breath for a second. Then slowly exhaled forming a frown on her porcelain face. "Can't believe she's gone…" Agnarr's eyes soften. "This 'feeling' should have been gone by now."

"Losing someone will forever hurt you. Even if you don't feel it every day, it still comes back to remind you of that person or people." Agnarr explained while leaning back in his chair and staring out the window.

Elsa closed her eyes for a brief moment. All she saw was a young woman in a yellow summer dress happily strolling down the shoreline with her russet brown hair flowing against the ocean breeze. The brunette looked over her shoulders and cast a loving smile at Elsa with her sapphire eyes glimmering like the water underneath the sun.

"Hey C'mon, let's go…" The brunette cheerful reached for Elsa's hand.

"Jane." The blonde felt the warmth coming from her hand. How the nostalgic touch sent her senses to overdrive, another flood of memories came to focus. From how the two first meet all the way to the last day Elsa stood by her. In seconds, the memories washed away causing Elsa to come back to her senses. Agnarr saw his daughter finally opening her eyes, relieved to see her crystal blue orbs once again. When he was about to speak, he saw her sitting back down. The old man leaned forward, eager to hear if she had a response.

Elsa let out an exhausted sigh and nodded her head.

In minutes, Agnarr jumped up from his chair and reached for Elsa's hand. The blonde looked a bit confused over her father's sudden gesture and unexpected cheerful attitude.

"I knew it you will come to your senses! Now don't you worry, I already have those important papers ready for you to sign at Janet's desk, and…"

"Hold on a second, I don't even know where to take the boys." Elsa interrupted her father's moment.

"Oh c'mon Elsa! You're in a creative field for Pete sake, I bet you will think of something fun." Agnarr explained.

"That's the thing, Jane was always the 'fun mom', I am just the planner and resourceful one," Elsa explained to him.

Agnarr paused for a moment to collect his thoughts with his hand underneath his chin. "How's picking a place you and Jane have been planning a while back for the boys? How does that sound?"

Elsa glanced over at the two picture frames across Agnarr's desk. One frame sealed away an old family photo of her when she was six with her parents and baby brother. And the other one is her family, her two boys with her and Jane - each photo had everyone smiling. Something that was very overdue for Elsa and her boys. The lonely mother of two hardly saw them smiling nowadays. Of course, she sometimes caught a glance at the boys grinning or smiling softly. But nothing like the one ones from the photos. Their eyes were glimmer with endless happiness in each picture frames.

"Let me look into it and get back to you in three days. I need to discuss this with the boys tonight." Elsa got up for the last time before shaking her father's hand and began to leave the room.

"And Elsa…" The blonde looked over her shoulders. "You know she's always watching over you three every day. At least show her that you all are okay." Agnarr smiled.

"Is that what you always wonder or know?" Elsa replied back with a question.

Agnarr nodded. "Know."

"You think mom and Jakob are doing the same?"

The old man nodded. "Always."

* * *

Elsa slowly came to a halt and parked her Rover at the center of the driveway, knowing that her vehicle is the only one occupying space. The blonde gathered her belongings before heading inside. But, took a brief moment to gaze at the house. She never had the chance to design her own home. It was meant to be a grand gift for her beloved wife, but, that dream was quickly cut short. Instead of renovating their old home by the beach, she ended up investing in a two-story home outside the city and far away from the nearest shoreline. Just wanting to be away from everything, letting go of her own past which she wanted to leave behind.

The home was modern, geometric with its boxed up corners like stacking blocks of white with matching squared glass windows to let natural light to sneak in during the day. With the scaling high pine trees to give the neighbor some privacy and isolation. Something Elsa grew custom to, but, not for the boys. It's wasn't their first time living in this home, they survived their second year without leaving close to the sea and without seeing another member of their small family - now it grew even smaller.

Elsa walked up the steps and pressed on the blue ring button underneath the doorknob singing friendly chime that echoed inside the home. The blonde waited for a brief moment until a very thin sixteen-year-old with long raven black hair covering half of her face opened the door for her.

"Hi, Dr. Anderson." The teenager in a dark violet sweater and black cut off jeans kindly greeted Elsa.

Elsa smiled. "Hello Violet, how are you and the boys?"

Violet opened the door wider for Elsa to enter while offering to take her bags. Elsa hesitated but the sweet babysitter couldn't take 'no' for an answer. The blonde still couldn't believe Violet's mother told her that she used to be a quiet one. Overall, she's glad to have a helpful babysitter living nearby.

"Well, same old for me. Surviving another year of high school. And the boys are in the kitchen working on their homework." Violet guided Elsa to the kitchen.

"Homework? It's their last week of school. What kind of teacher gives homework during this time of the year?" Elsa raised an eyebrow.

"Technically only Connor's English teacher gave his class homework which is due by the end of the week. And don't freak out if you see Teddy doing homework, he's not. But, he didn't want to make Connor feel bad, so he's pretending to be doing homework by practicing to write his numbers." Violet happily explained.

The two paused by the entrance way of the kitchen which opened up to the family's living room. Elsa spotted the boys busily doing work and shook her head at him. With a chuckle, she approach them by ruffling up their hairs and each giving them a kiss on the cheek. "Hello, my little workaholics."

Theo returned the gesture by giving his mother a warm embrace as usual. An old routine the two will never stop doing. As for Elsa, she's getting used to Connor's 'no-hugs' policy nowadays replaced by a 'bro-fist' gesture. Overall, Elsa can't believe her two bear cubs are growing up too fast.

"Care to join us for dinner Violet?" Elsa asked her distracted babysitter, either checking up her Facebook or Instagram account, either way, Violet's face was one-hundred percent glued to her phone's screen. "Violet?" The blonde asked one more time until she saw her finally woken up by her patience husky voice.

"Oh, you said something Dr. Anderson?"

Elsa chuckled. "I asked you if you like to join us for dinner? I bake a mean ziti."

"Yup, she does!" Theo shouted in agreement while Connor held up a thumbs up in the air.

"Oh I love to, but, I have plans to help my parents with Dash's room." Violet went on explaining how Mr. and Mrs. Incredible was planning to add in a bunk bed in her little brother's room. Something to have whenever he has friends over. Plus the couple plans to turn the nursery to be a home office. So in the future, her second little brother Jack Jack can sleep in Dash's room.

"Ah, gotcha." Elsa nodded. "Sounds like a project for all of you."

"Yeah, I only pitched in because I don't want Dash touching any of our dad's tools. Last time, the two did some home improvement in the house without mom, we had to call the fire department." Violet added.

"Oh wow, what happened?" Elsa's eyes widen, sounding a bit worried about where Violet's story was heading.

"Nothing really. We had the local fire department get our neighborhood's cat off a tree because my dad and Dash dressed up as crazy Vikings using the tools from the shed as weapons and wailing them like crazies."

Elsa raised an eyebrow, she assumed the story led to an accidental fall or minor injury. Then again, the Andersons are new to the neighborhood and so far, Elsa found nothing wrong about her neighbors.

"Well that's some story you got there, Violet." Elsa commented kindly.

"Thanks, Mrs. A. Maybe you should share some of 'your stories' like your childhood stories about the neighborhood you used to live in."

"My old neighborhood?" Elsa raised an eyebrow. Violet nodded. "Why are you interested in that?"

Violet placed a finger on her chin, thinking peaceful for a brief moment until her eyes lighten up with excitement. "There's something about someone and the places they've been to. It's like an element that shaped that person of who they are. From the streets to the people in that place, it shows that person's true self."

Elsa nodded. "This explains why you want to be a writer or journalist in the future am I right?"

Violet nodded. "Yup, sure do!"

* * *

After Violet has left, Elsa went ahead and gotten dinner ready for the family. Connor just finished up doing his homework and quickly rushed outside with his small camera. Elsa saw him meeting up with his little brother in the yard while happily watching them through the large kitchen window, washing some vegetables that would go nicely with some tomato and mozzarella.

"He definitely loves that camera." She whispered happily. "Who know he would be like _her_." Her sudden smile quickly faded into a frown.

Elsa continued to make dinner while glancing back at the boys where they were passing along a soccer ball across the neatly cut green grass. Connor was taking some photographs here and there while they played. The young photographer grew passionate about the art every day since his mother's passing. As much as he knew a little of his late mother's career, at least he knew about her many passions. And photography was one of them.

"Hey Theo, hold the ball a second, place it underneath your arm." Connor directed him. The little blond followed. "Now look at the trees over there." The brunet pointed at the two trees standing at the corner of the yard, where afternoon late was peaking through the branches, casting a shadow over Theo's face.

Elsa overheard Connor and decided to take a brief moment to watch the young artist at work. From his little commands and comments to hand directions, she found the similar spirit Jane used to have while being in the field. A sight that always warmed the lonely mother's heart. After putting the pasta and eggplant in the oven and setting the timer, she went outside and sat on the patio steps to watch the boys happily playing.

"Hey, Connor can I play with your camera?" Theo asked kindly.

Connor paused for a moment, trapping the soccer ball underneath his shoe. He glanced at Theo who had both of his hands reaching for his brother's camera. Apparently, the little one only knew it was their late mother's camera, but, doesn't know how truly special the little device is.

"C'mon, can I just take one picture?" The little blond asked again.

"Um, I don't know." Connor was feeling conflicted. He didn't want Jane's camera to get damaged, but, he doesn't want to see Theo's feelings getting hurt.

"Theo, don't pressure your brother. He'll let you play with it whenever he's ready." Elsa explained with a smile.

The boys watched her get up from the steps and began walking over. Connor saw how the sunlight was tickling his mother's face so kindly. A brief golden outline traced around the side of her face, illuminating the magical shine coming from her platinum blonde hair. A touch of white, highlighted her crystal blue eyes, making them look electrifying. The young photographer couldn't help it, but, quickly captured the moment before the light faded away.

"Aww, I wanted to take a picture of mommy!" Theo sounded disappointed, pouting at Connor. The older brother just shrugged his shoulders.

Elsa smiled at the little one then focus her attention at Connor, she crouched down to his eye level until she saw his sapphire eyes. "Can I look at it?" She asked kindly.

Connor hesitated for a second until he pressed the menu button on his camera to find the right folder that stored away his recent taken photographs. After a couple of taps, he found the recent photo of his mother and showed it to her.

Theo stood by Elsa, leaning against her arm and glanced at the photo. "Wow! That's amazing."

Elsa blinked twice. Taking a brief moment to study the photo -finally aware of how talented her son was. Closed to the level of skills she grew to knew how Jane took her photographs. "This is beautiful." She looked up to see Connor casting a small grin that slowly turned into a smile with a chuckle.

"Thanks, mom. Now, I see how mum fell for you." He chuckled again.

Elsa chuckled too. "You have no idea."

"Oh tell us how you and mummy met!" Theo shouted.

Elsa and Connor can't wrap their heads around it, why Theo tends to shout everytime he gets excited over something.

"Yeah, when are you going to tell us that story?" Connor asked Elsa.

Elsa lifted herself from the ground. "When you two are older." She happily ruffled their hairs. "Now c'mon, go wash up and I'll set up dinner. The ziti should be ready in ten."

* * *

After a serving or two of her baked ziti and mini eggplant lasagna, the boys were stuffed. They were happy to give their mother a hand with the dishes before dashing up to their rooms to get ready for bed. At night, the Andersons usually stay at one of their rooms to have their bedtime story. Connor doesn't mind if he felt too old for those things, he secretly still enjoyed hearing Elsa's voice reading interesting stories to him. Tonight was a chapter from the boys' recent favorite modern-day adventure with a boy named Percy Jackson dealing with Ancient Greek mythology in the Big Apple. When Elsa realized Theo was peacefully sleeping in his bed and Connor slowly falling asleep, Elsa closed the book and placed it on Theo's nightstand. She softly tapped on Connor's shoulder and he began to carry himself off his brother's bed, dragging himself to his room.

Elsa followed him to make sure he was safely tucked in. She kissed his forehead after combing back his brown hair away from his face. After the two said 'goodnight' to each other, Elsa turned off the lights in his bedroom. But took a quick glance at Jane's camera that was sleeping on Connor's desk, the mother cast a small smile before heading downstairs.

With the flick of the light switch, the garage was illuminated. It's been awhile since Elsa browsed or cleaned the corner of stacked boxes. She navigated through the mess until she found a few camping gears leaning against the wall. They were only used a few times while Elsa and Jane were just a couple traveling the world and they were planning to use them again after having kids. But traveling started to slow down after the two had Connor. Instead, Jane started a photography shop at the old beach town they used to live in and she occasionally did talk in conferences on photography and how the media is an important tool in the environmental community.

Elsa stood in front of the gear and wondered if camping with the boys was a good idea. But Elsa is a woman with options, she preferred to have alternatives before making any decisions. Instead, she walked past the pile of gear and decided to open up the old metal closet nearby more boxes with her wife's name on them.

Inside were Jane's old photography gear, tripods to old bags. There were metal cases with the labels 'lens' on a majority of them. Just as she was about to close the closet she noticed several small thin journals carefully tucked away far in the corner. Elsa reached for one of them and revealed it underneath the light.

"Travel Journals." She concluded.

Elsa remembered these journals. Jane usually had one during her travels and when they were dating in college. She only had a few chances of seeing what's inside the books, but, never was interested to truly browse through or even read them. She assumed it was her late wife's personal diaries. Now she's no longer around, Elsa wanted something to help her think of something fun for the boys to visit. Who knows the journals will be the key to help her keep the bond with family closer than ever.

"Sounds like I found something interesting to read tonight."

She gathered all the books she found and exited out of the garage. When she was back in the hallway heading upstairs, she paused at one of the hung photo frames on the wall. A photo of a crescent-shaped shoreline decorated in white sand with clear blue waters touching the shore as monstrous clouds hid behind the luscious green mountains and kissing the horizon.

"That place looks familiar." The gears inside her head began to turn as she tried to recollect past memories - figuring out the place inside the photo. After a brief moment, it was no use, and yet this blonde was too determined to find out. Instead of heading up to her bedroom she took a detour back to her studies to do some research on this mysterious island town by the sea.

* * *

 **I'm aiming to upload every weekend night if I can! Once again thanks for finding my story and taking the time to read it. The first three chapters will be slow but, it's building up to set the plot of the story.**

 **Please don't forget to Review, Follow & Favorite!**


	2. Chapter 2 - Written In The Sand

Since her last meeting with her father, Elsa has been researching for places to visit in between crazy meetings with clients and catching up with her design team on deadlines. For example, while a client went about listing all the needed amenities for their new hotel layout, Elsa was skimming through travel blogs that had information about small towns with the crescent-shaped shorelines. There was something in that photograph at home motivated her to find out the name of that place.

The other night since finding Jane's travel journals, she only had the chance to browsed through one journal, and there were more waiting for her to read. Elsa also went back to the photo in the hallway, opened up the frame - hoping Jane left a clue on the photograph. But, the back of the photograph only had her signature. 'J.P.A' Abbreviating her first name, maiden name and her married name.

She had the same dream once again, where she stood on a sandy beach where the ocean reached up to her feet, gently tickling her toes and the sun softly shining its rays on her angelic porcelain skin. But, this time it wasn't Jane waiting for her at the edge of the shoreline, it was another woman in a soft emerald tank top and old rugged cut out denim shorts. The woman carried twin braid pigtails, carelessly hanging behind her back. Her peach skin was nicely tanned with a constellation of freckles occupying every space of her slim body.

The blonde's eyes widen, quickly realizing who the young strawberry blonde woman was, just from the half crescent sun tattoo on her right shoulder. Right by the ginger's foot was a written word on the sand, Elsa assumed the other woman wrote it.

"Lani" Elsa softly read.

When the ginger was about to look over her shoulders towards Elsa's direction, the poor blonde's alarm clock began to ring - screaming at her to wake up for another day in the battlefield aka motherhood.

* * *

Beside her clock being the one to wake her up constantly, Elsa was woken up by a loud burst of laughter and giggles ringing in her ear with a pair of small hands tickling her side. With one eye slightly opened, she spotted a little bear cub with outrageous messy blond hair sticking out from all sides happily staring back her. He was biting his lip, trying to contain his excitement.

"You're up early, baby bear," Elsa said in a yawn while slowly sitting upright to meet her son face to face.

"Who's Lani, mommy?" Theo turned his head to the side.

Elsa chuckled. "I believe it's a place, love. It's something I've been thinking about lately."

"Oh! Where is it?" Theo sat down by a spot across from his mother.

"That's a good question, I hardly don't know. But, I am willing to find out this morning. But first, let's wake up your brother and make breakfast. What do you say?" Elsa leaned forward to gaze into her little boy's sapphire eyes.

"Can we make banana pancakes?" Theo smiled joyfully.

"Can we make banana pancakes?" Elsa raised an eyebrow with a mischievous grin on her face. Without holding back, she went straight into tickling Theo, causing the boy to let out an outburst of laughter. "You want to make banana pancakes?" She repeated.

"Mom! That tickles!" Theo continued to laugh. "Yeah, we always have pancakes on the weekends!"

Hearing her son laughing was always a soothing melody. It was calming and helpful when it came to controlling her weariness. Something she'll never get tired of and don't want to stop hearing any time soon.

"Okay, baby bear." Elsa stopped tickled Theo and finished off with a kiss on her son's forehead. "Let's go wake up Connor…"

"I am already up."

Theo looked over his shoulder and Elsa glanced up to see her other baby bear quietly letting out a yawn. The blonde's eyes soften when she saw Connor standing by the doorframe wearing his oversized t-shirt and basketball shorts. Like Theo, his brown hair was an absolute mess.

"Good morning, little bear!" Elsa smiled.

"Morning, mom." Connor let out another yawn. "What are you two talking about?"

"We're going to make pancakes!" Theo jumped out of Elsa's bed like an excited little monkey and rushed over to Connor's side. "C'mon, Conny!" He took his brother's hand dragged him out of their mother's bedroom.

"Theo, don't ever call me that!" Elsa chuckled over her eldest outburst.

The mother got up from her bedside and reached for her phone. After opening up her internet browser, she quickly searched up 'Lani'. A majority of the results were translations of the word to several traveling articles of a beach town in the archipelago of Moa Loa.

When she was about to tap on an article, she heard the loud sound of a metal pan falling onto the kitchen floor. She let out a tired grunt, then a chuckle while shaking her head.

"We're okay, mommy!"

Elsa let out a sigh after hearing her little one from down the hall.

The Andersons sat outside their backyard patio with a nice view of the towering pine trees and the local mountain range over their home. A different scenery for the family compared to their old beach home by the coast. Elsa placed down a large plate of homemade banana pancakes at the center of their circular table. Connor began helping himself with a glass of orange juice. He saw Theo grabbing his own glass, went ahead and pour himself a glass. While the glass jar of juice was a bit hefty for his little six-year-old hands, the older brother gave him a hand. Elsa smiled at the sight. Even though Connor slowly became quiet over the last two years since Jane's death, she began to get used to his silent selfless and humble personality.

When she saw her boys began munching on their breakfast, Elsa began to tell them about their summer plans.

"I know school ended last week and I think it's time to plan out our summer, shall we?" She smiled.

"Are we going to do the same thing as last year?" Connor began cutting pieces of his pancake while glancing over at Theo not using his utensils and went straight to eating his slice like if it was New York style steak.

"What do you mean?" Elsa raised an eyebrow.

"You know like you end up working more while you send us to camp." Connor began to explain how Elsa tends to overwork herself as usual while the boys stayed on a two-week camping trip which made his math class less boring.

"You two didn't like Camp Weseltown?" The blonde blinked twice staring back her boys in shock.

"Wesselton, we've preferred Camp Olaf back at our old place when mom was around. But, we didn't get the real life camping experience in both places." Connor took a bite of his breakfast without looking up at Elsa.

Elsa felt a few of her heartstrings being tugged whenever she heard her son mention about her wife while explaining a few her own flaws in front of her. And yet, it was a good reminder of what her father had advised her recently. She needed to make up the lost time she has taken from her boys since that tragedy.

"You two won't be going to camp this summer, as far as I know, it." Elsa got Connor's attention whenever the brunet lifted his head and stopped eating for a brief second. "As much as I was planning to take you two camping with me…"

"Wait mommy, you've gone camping before? Like with tents and fishing…"

"And better camping food." Connor interrupted Theo, earning him a glare from the little blond.

Elsa chuckled. "Before you two were born, your mum and I used to travel a lot and we've done some camping during our trips. There was one time we camped deep in the woods in Maine, I believe we were visiting Acadia State Park while your mother had an assignment to get some sunrise and sunset photos of Cadillac Mountain."

The blonde saw Connor's eyes widen, knowing her son was astonished about his mothers' trip to Maine. Theo was still munching on his pancake like a hungry baby bear most of the time Elsa was telling the story.

"Do you know where mum stored away those photos?" Connor asked.

"Probably in some of your mum's boxes. There's probably rough drafts of her written articles there too." Elsa briefly explained her late wife's career to the boys. "Some of your mum's work has to be published in well-known magazines, they're digitalized too."

"Gotta look into that," Connor commented.

"So what are we going to do this summer, mommy?" Theo asked in a mouth full.

"So far, I am thinking of visiting this beach town called Lani. We might have to take a plane and rent a car while staying there." Elsa summarized. "I have no clue of what the place is like, but, I got the idea from one of the photos that your mum took a while back."

"Which one?" Connor raised an eyebrow.

"The photo down the hall nearby the garage. The one with a cliffside view of Lani down the valley and a view of the ocean." Elsa described through memory.

Connor nodded. "Is that one of mum's early works?" He asked.

"I believe so." Elsa leaned back in her chair. "But, I still need to do some research about the place and how to organize our trip."

"Don't worry mommy, we can help you with that." Theo smiled.

"Really?" Elsa saw both boys nodding their heads and yet both carried different expressions on their faces. Connor continued to show his aloof face, but, beyond his dark sapphire eyes, Elsa knew he was recovering from the recent move from his birthplace to Pine Grove, their new home. As for Theo, he was filled with excitement from the glimmer of joy in his electrifying sapphire eyes.

"Yeah, I wanna to go!" Theo shouted.

Elsa chuckled. "Well thank your grandfather, it was his idea."

"Grandpa's making you take a vacation?" Connor asked.

Elsa nodded. "He thought we deserved some time to rest and take it easy for awhile."

Connor was silent for a brief moment, he completely agreed with his grandfather. It has been awhile since the three had a solid time to grief and relax after the hell they have been through two years ago.

"So how long are we going to be staying there?" The brunet asked.

"About two weeks. How does that sound?" Elsa responded.

Connor nodded. "Sounds good."

"How about if we like it? Can we stay longer?" Theo placed both of his hands on the table, making the table shake a bit, not too much to point it might knock off the juice jug or silverware.

"We'll see baby bear," Elsa stated.

"Can I bring some of mum's gear? I wanna get some nice landscape shots." Connor quickly changed the subject by focusing on his hobby.

"Um…" Elsa paused.

"Are we going to check out tourist spots or can we explore freely?" Connor added.

As much as Elsa was a bit tongue-tied, photography wasn't her strongest suit. That was all on Jane, she was more creative than she was. Absolutely more outgoing and adventurous than Elsa. Jane traveled since she was eight, traveling from the jungles of Africa to getting lost in Singapore, Elsa's wife was more worldly than she was. Of course, Elsa's father has taken her to some of his business trips and has gone to some on her own, it wasn't compared to her wife's rugged life. The furthest Elsa has gone rugged was being a surfer addict at a peaceful beach town by the coast for almost half of her childhood and rebellious teen years.

"Well let's see what Lani looks like and we'll list out our itineraries. Sounds good?" Elsa quickly planned out.

The boys nodded their heads and went back to eating. As for Elsa, she let out a satisfied sigh and helped herself with two stacks of pancakes. Then quietly took a sip of her tea before staring beyond her backyard as she began to imagine hearing the soothing melody of waves crashing against barer rocks by a coastal shoreline once again.

* * *

It was mid-morning and the Andersons were heavily cleaning out the mess around the garage. Since moving into their new home, Elsa simply just pushed away unnecessary items into the corner, but, of course, had to store away her late wife's belongs neatly tucked away in plastic boxes and metal closets for safe keeping. Theo constantly asked a lot of questions during their clean up while Connor kept things to himself as usual.

The older brother tends to be the quiet one over the two, constantly keeping himself occupied to pass the time. However, the brunet never grew up like this, he was similarly close to his mother and little brother, a giant ball of sunshine in the room was something Elsa used to remember. And yet, Connor tends to resemble more of Elsa than Jane, the boy currently developed the same personality Elsa used to be whenever she was very young. But like the both of them, a tragedy changed for the both of them.

"Hey mama, what's in here?" Theo curiously opened up a cardboard box with more small boxes individually packed inside. "Boxes inside a box?" The blond raised a brow before reaching for one of the boxes and began to open it. Soon his little sapphire eyes widen over the sight. "No way are these seashells?"

Connor looked over his shoulders to see his little brother holding up a seashell with spikes sticking out from side to side. It looked awfully large for a six-year-old to hold up with both of his hands and the spikes made it look intimidating to play around it.

"Theo be careful with that." The brunet advice him.

Elsa paused for a moment and walked over to Theo, she crouched down to pick up one of the shells inside the box. There was a mango-shaped shell with a gorgeous shade of milk-white on one side and a coffee mocha brown on the other. Connor walked over to take a closer look at the box. His keen eyes caught sight of his mother staring into space, blankly at the seashell she suddenly held up.

"Mama?" He softly called out her name, but, his mother's mind was so far away.

* * *

The playful sun's rays slipped through the side window of a moving crossover, where an eight-year-old was quietly sleeping in the back seat until the vehicle slowly came to a stop. When the smooth lullaby of the car's engine died out, the blonde gradually lifted herself up and looked straight out of her window.

Her mother heard her gasp from the front passenger seat and looked over her shoulder. "Isn't it beautiful?" She asked her daughter.

"Mama, the ocean looks so pretty!" The blonde squealed in delight.

"Well, you will wake up to that every morning," The blonde's father looked over his shoulder and cast a grand smile over his face. "Welcome to Hesson Shields, Elsa. Our new home."

"Can I go outside for a bit?" Elsa asked kindly. Her father nodded.

Elsa's crystal blue eyes widen, gleaming with joy as she quickly released her seatbelt, opened her door and rushed outside. With her small flip flops clicking and clacking against the graveled road, she paused at the edge of a grassy cliffside that looked over a strip of peach soft sand and patches of crashing waves against rugged sharp rocks.

"Wow, this is amazing!" Elsa deeply inhaled a band of the ocean breeze inside her lungs and slowly exhaled out.

"Elsa, come with me." The blonde saw her mother reaching out her hand. She carried a loving smile and her crystal blue eyes were gleaming with joy inside her as well. Despite the strain of hair escaping from her messy russet hair bun, Elsa couldn't stop smiling back at her.

The eight-year-old took her hand and began to follow her down a little pathway that led down to the shoreline below. Elsa turned around to see her father happily following the two from behind. Soon the family was right by the waters to feel the afternoon sun and the cool ocean waters on their feet.

"Can we visit this place every day?" Elsa held her mother's hand tightly.

Her mother nodded. "Yes, my love. But you know what, I know a better place to see than this." The older woman smiled.

"Where mama?" Elsa looked up to see her mother staring at the sea with a peace in her eyes and a collective smile as the strain of hair danced along with the incoming sea breeze.

Her mother crouched down beside her and point at the water. "The ocean. Never be afraid of it. Never stop loving it. Just like how I'll never stop loving you." She peaked a kiss on her daughter's cheek before pulling her in for a warm hug.

The two went on laughing as their voices began to echo and faded away whenever a voice from the present drew Elsa back to reality.

* * *

Elsa woke up from her trip to a strange wooden mask with colorful paint. However, this mask carried an angry looking expression on it - looking very intimidating staring back at her causing her to fall back off her feet and land on her bottom on the cold garbage cemented floor.

"What in the world?" She gasped in a fright.

"Mama, what do you think? Can I bring this on the trip?"

Elsa raised an eyebrow. "Theo is that you?" Theo went on removing the mask. "Sweetheart you scared the living out of me."

Theo pouted. "Sorry, mommy. But you were thinking for so long and I got bored of waiting so I went around exploring and I found this." He handed her the mask that was absolutely bigger than his head.

"That's okay hun." Elsa looked down at the mask. "Huh? Guess this was some souvenir from one of your mum's trips. Or grandpa Archie's." She studied it one last time before getting up to put it away.

"Theo, where's your brother?" Elsa looked around the garage to find a pair of shoes hanging high in the air. She walked towards the shoes to see her eldest scavenging through a tall narrow box.

"Connor?" Elsa raised a brow.

Elsa walks over to see what Connor was looking for. The boy slowly began to pull out a rolled up blue sleeping bag. His mother gave him a hand by pulling him out of the box then settled him down on the ground safely. She dusted off any random dirt particles that might have been stuck inside the bag and boxes.

"I found two inside that box. I think those are yours and mum." He looked at Elsa with a set of curious eyes, maybe wondering about the trips his mother's' has gone to.

"Your mum and I planned on getting two more a while back. But, we had some setbacks. Well…" Elsa paused. "Well, you know why. Now, I think of it, maybe we should get some just in case before heading over to Lani."

"Mama, what's Lani like?" Theo walked up to her with a wooden flute he suddenly found while digging through some of Jane's old box that was labeled 'Congo.'

Please don't tell me he found Jane's childhood toys. There's that one toy with spikes on them. Who gives a five year a yo-yo with spikes? Wait, wrong continent. Elsa let out a sigh after recalling more about Jane's old belongings.

"It's a cozy little beach town. According to your mum's trip journals. It's a heavenly place. Giant puffy clouds and amazing clear blue waters." Elsa saw Theo's eyes widen. "So it's an amazing place to take unforgettable photos." She looked over her shoulders and cast a smile at Connor. The brunet nodded with a grin.

"So let's find that tent, those outdoor backpacks, and a box of camping gear," Elsa instructed the boys.

"We're not staying in a hotel?" Connor asked.

"There's an inn in the town. Just a small bed and breakfast. A couple motels in the highway heading there, but, you know me with motels." Elsa went on telling the boys how she used to stay in those places while still traveling in a budget with their mother. As much she can live off with her father's fortune, she felt like it builds better character to put yourself in some challenges once and awhile. Plus they created better campfire stories to tell.

"Like what happened to you and mum at that run-down motel in the middle of North Dakota?" Connor reminded his mother.

"You know about the 'Dakota Motel Story'?" Elsa raised a brow.

"Yeah, mum loved telling that story." Connor laughed. "She told me that story during ours 'visits.'"

Our visits, something Elsa wanted to stay away from explaining with anyone, including her own father and friends. She especially didn't want to bring them up in front of her boys, even though it was during their time seeing Jane in the hospital.

"What's the 'Da-choo-tom Story'?" Theo came into the conversation.

"Dakota. North Dakota. It's one of the fifty states." Connor chuckled.

"What is it then?" Theo was eager to hear about the story.

Connor sat on one of the boxes, legs dangling in the air. His little brother did the same and sat right beside him. Elsa enjoyed the sight of the two being together like good siblings, she decided to lean against the metal door of one of the closets, as she quietly listened to Connor tell a story from her past.

"So this is when mama and mummy first started dating. Right mama?" Connor looked up to see Elsa nodding her head. "According to mum, mama has been stuck in her college room for a week working on projects so she dragged her out for a little trip."

"Back then, your mum's definition of a little trip lasted for a week. Which was ridiculous." Elsa chuckled while shaking her head. "Even though she was a hand-full. She was a maverick."

Theo noticed the smile slowly forming on his mother's face after making that remark. "That's why you loved her, Mama?"

Elsa looked at her little one, a smile that stretched from ear to ear. There was twinkled in his almond-shaped sapphire eyes which quickly resembled Jane's. As much his question felt heart-warming, her heartstrings were tugged once again. To keep things calm and not to show any burden and regret, she returned a regal nodded.

Connor saw the change of facial expression from his mother's, assuming Elsa hasn't recovered from his late mother's death. At the back of his head, he wondered when will she start to accept everything and learn to move on.

"Why were you in Da-ko-tah?" Theo asked Elsa while Connor shoot him a thumbs up for saying the state correctly.

"Your mum got the idea from another photographer. A random assignment roulette game I guess and somehow North Dakota was in the wheel of choices." She responded. "Care to tell the story or I will?" The mother smiled at her eldest.

Connor nodded. The brunet continued telling the story while Elsa quietly listened, smiling here and there, while keeping her composure, not letting the past trouble her once again. She's a grown woman, a mother for Pete sake and she still hasn't gotten used to letting the past go, accepting them as memories and learning to live on along with them inside her head.

The Dakota story was a weekend adventure where Jane took Elsa away from her studies just for three days of relaxation. However, that idea backfired whenever they step foot in the state. They ended up renting a run-down Jeep with broken rear lights and holes on the roof. The blonde assumed the marks looked like they were gunshots holes. Some of the remaining bullet shillings were left behind at the trunk of the wrangler.

Jane ignored the mess and kept her head up, looking forward to a positive and fun weekend. They ended up staying at a motel in the middle of nowhere where they were surrounded by towering pines trees. A sight Elsa wasn't used to, she was used to tall palm trees or giant skyscrapers. But, with Jane by her side, the blonde felt safe no matter where they go.

And yet, that quickly shifted when Elsa took the role to be Jane's shining knight in cut-out black jeans and two-day-old college hoodie. Jane never knew Elsa was a fast runner whenever she saw the blonde chasing after a goon in tight overalls and mountain boots running off with Jane's camera gear. Then the chase came to an end whenever Elsa bumped into the owner of the motel who was randomly carrying a mountain ax and rubber chicken.

Without hesitation, she ignored the man and chased after the goon until she tackled him to the ground. Jane was right behind her and saw everything. The brunette apologized to the owner about the mishap, but, she was dragged away from Elsa after retrieving her gear. The blonde took her back to the wrangler and they drove off to the nearest camping ground and they settled there for the weekend. She told Jane it would be more fun sleeping underneath the stars than being stuck in a cramped old room.

Jane didn't oppose the idea, finding it surprising to see Elsa's romantic side. But, the blonde corrected her that she didn't want to sleep nearby where there were crack jobs staying in the same place they were.

"Please, tell me mum told you the PG version of that story." Elsa interrupted Connor.

The brunet looked up. "There's another version to this story?" He raised an eyebrow.

Elsa blushed and cleared her throat. "No there isn't. "She lied. "C'mon lets get these gear into one spot and let's go out and buy some summer clothes, also you two need new swimming trunks. Lani has amazing beaches, so let's not miss out on some swimming there."

The boys exchanged confused looks. Theo quietly asked Connor what he meant about another version to the Dakota Story. The older brother shrugged his shoulders before jumping off the box, then gave his little brother a hand to carefully get off before they ran off to give their mother hand.

When the Andersons built a spot for their gear, they headed out to the mall to for some summer shopping before going back to officially packing for their trip to Lani.

* * *

After an afternoon of shopping, Elsa just finished bringing up her own lounge whenever she helped the boys bring up their's into Connor's room. The blonde made a compromise with them to share during the trip. As for packing, she advised them to bring what's important and pack like their going camping even though they will be staying there for two weeks.

When the boys went to bed, she went back down to the garage. Along the way, she saw a pile of clothes already stacked by the boy's lounge. Elsa grinned when she saw two of Theo's stuffed animals sitting on top of the pile, side by side from each other.

Even though she only told him to bring one during the trip, the little blond enlightened her that he might not be the only one who needed a little friend to keep him company at night. Elsa assumed he was mentioning about Connor when she saw Theo smiling back at her. The single mother doesn't know where he gets his selfless attitude, but, she's absolutely grateful that he is.

When she entered the garage with a flick of the light switch, the entire room illuminated once again. This time the place looked cleaner than before. From the smiling and laughing during today, the boys really had a fun day of cleaning and shopping with their mother for the longest time.

It's a work in progress. Elsa reflected while standing in the middle of the space. She reached for her phone behind her back pocket and glanced back at a recent email of her confirming her airline purchase. She can't believe she's actually doing it.

Mark it as her first solo trip since marrying Jane and a well-needed vacation after her death.

She stored her phone away and looked up for a moment. Long before the boys were born and meeting Jane, Elsa lived a life closely by waters and she journeyed around a cozy beach town with a special friend from her past. Her crystal blue eyes were glued to the ceiling where it carried a few surfboards. Made in many different sizes and decorated with compelling and meaningful designs on each handcrafted craftsmanship.

She stared at one of the boards that were tucked away. A simple flower design was painted in black with wide petals and long leaves to the side. But the overall design was an abstract piece of work. Its true form was to illustrate a half crescent sun with its rays pointing the left side.

Elsa's mind quickly went back in time when she remembered a young girl with that same design inked on her back. She could still hear the roaring waves in the distances while that particular woman's laugh echoed beyond her head. Ringing deeply in her mind and escaping freely out her ear. The blonde reached behind her left shoulder blade still remembering that she too had her own mark hidden away for years. Permanently inked forever to not seal away her past, but, forever remember it.

* * *

 **Side Note: Lani means 'Heaven' and Moa Loa means 'Forever' in Hawaiian. This story will have some connections with various cultures.**

 **A/N: Sorry for the short chapter this weekend. Many thanks to those who Followed/Favorited/Reviewed and especially took the chance to read my story!**


	3. Chapter 3 - Hazy Horizon

**WARNING: Some cursing in this chapter - Rated T**

* * *

The temperature of the water was cold enough to make the hairs on the young blonde's arms stand. While laying on her surfboard, she raised one of her arms to check how slowly her porcelain skin was matching her best friend's, she just let out a laugh and tilted her head to the side to spot her friend sitting on her board.

"Good morning, coconut head." The blonde giggled.

The other surfer with strawberry blonde glared at her. "Hey, who you callin' coconut head?"

The blonde laughed. "You. You barely had a brain over there after catching that last set. You know you can't handle those waves yet. Maybe you should ride on the kiddy ones."

The other girl crooked her eyebrows before casting a mischievous smile. "Whatever you say, Elsa." The surfer removed the broad strap around her ankle and jump into the water without a care in the world.

Elsa lifted herself up after her friend went for a swim. She waited patiently for her to swim back up to the surface, but, when a minute or two past by, her friend still didn't appear. The blonde started to grow weary, scanning above the water hoping to see any air bubbles forming on surface.

While having her back unprotected, air bubbles were quietly rising up and the other surfer appeared through the water like a shark, quietly, patiently watching its prey. She swiftly swam up to Elsa's board, stealthy, not wanting to her catch her in her line of sight.

"C'mon Anna, this is not funny." Elsa calling for her friend's name, voice slightly broken. "Okay, I take it back for calling you a coconut head. Just get your crazy ass back up here." She began to apologize while nervously scanning the waters again, still oblivious for not checking her back.

When Anna's hands touched the edge of Elsa's board, without any hesitation she flipped the wooden plank with all her might, causing the blonde to fall into the water.

"Anna!" Elsa shouted.

Anna let out a burst of laughter. Elsa managed to swim back up and relaxed her arms on top of her board, facing Anna with glaring eyes. The strawberry blonde was grinning from ear to ear causing the other woman to shake her head.

"C'mon that was pretty funny. You shoulda seen your face." Anna reenacted Elsa's facial expression in front of her.

Elsa rolled her eyes. "When are you going to grow up?"

"When are you going to stop acting like an adult and try to have fun?" Anna raised an eyebrow.

"Isn't surfing enough fun for you?" Elsa questioned while pointing at Anna's board, happily floating away from the two.

"Oh shit! My board." The young surfer quickly swam towards it, got on top and started paddling it towards Elsa who started to get back on her board too. "Look there's never a limit to having fun, remember that." Anna pointed her finger at Elsa, inches away from the blonde's nose.

Elsa moved Anna's index finger out of the way. She paddled her board a little closer to Anna's until they were a few inches apart. The blonde went back to laying on her back as she began to gaze up at the sky - watching a family of clouds passing by.

"My mom used to say that whenever I was little." She said proudly, but, there was a touch of sadness in her lips.

Anna saw the sudden change in her best friend's face. She was very regal from the start, calm and collective. And yet between Elsa's serious crystal blue eyes always had this hidden beauty of love and joy.

"I can't imagine what's like to lose someone close to you." The young redhead pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on her knees. "Especially someone who carried the same blood as you. As for me, I never experienced what you've had or gone through."

Elsa turned her head to look at Anna with sympathetic eyes. "What do you mean?"

"To have a real family."

* * *

Elsa's alarm clock from her childhood days was close to the morning ocean waves crashing along the rocks nearby her old house by the shore. Despite the soothing sound of roaring waves, her clock was more of a crying siren, telling her to get up or else Hell will break loose. However this time, it was Theo as her alarm clock. The single mother was woken up by an unexpected kick to the face, not too rough, but, something that quickly caused her eyes to open wide and let out a painful groan. She slowly sat right up while massaging her jaw and the left side of her face to find a little her six-year-old sleeping upside down beside her.

She couldn't help it but return a smile. The little boy was snoring loudly while being stuck in dreamland and embracing his stuffed monkey. Elsa reached over and ruffled Theo's golden hair. She placed a kiss on his forehead and patiently whispered 'wake up'. In a few seconds, the young blond slowly opened his eyes to see his mother smiling down at him.

"Good morning my little monkey."

"Morning mommy," Theo returned a smile while letting out a yawn.

Suddenly, there was a knock on Elsa's bedroom door. Theo sat on his mother's bed with his body right up, Elsa removed the covers and walked up to her door. She opened it to find Connor standing outside her doorway. The blonde blinked twice, surprised to see her eldest already dressed and ready to go out somewhere.

"Connor, you're up and ready - What time is it?" Elsa asked him.

"7:30, we have to get to the airport. But, Aunty Ranpuzlla is here early because she told me there's an hour backup in the Thruway. If we don't leave now, we might miss our flight." Connor answered. Elsa's eyes widen. "Mom, why are you staring at me like that?" The brunet took a step back, a bit frightened to see his mother's eyes looking like a disturb barn owl.

The blonde looked over shoulders. "Theodore, go get dress! We need to get going!"

Theo jumped out bed and dashed passed the two. Elsa asked Connor kindly to go help Theo while she gets herself ready too. Connor let out a sigh after seeing Elsa dashing off into her bathroom before he walked over to Theo's room. The six-year-old had his door closed where he assumed his little brother had things under control on his end. The only thing he had to do was to keep his aunt occupied until his family collected their things and met him downstairs.

The twelve-year-old was a bit mature for his age. He looked like his late mother, but, had the calm and collective personalities like his other mother. Whenever Rapunzel saw him walk into the living room where she was patiently waiting, he saw more of Elsa in him than Jane. Regal stature with a strong sense of wisdom inside. Remarkable for his age and yet, Rapunzel sometimes worried about her eldest nephew since Jane's passing.

"Let me guess, they just woke up?" The brunette with a pixie haircut smiled down at Connor. The young boy nodded. Rapunzel rolled her eyes and let out a chuckle. "She was never like this whenever we were growing up."

The two both found a spot on the couch. Connor reached for his Jane's camera and began fiddling with it.

"You better capture some good stuff with that." Connor looked up to see his aunt still carrying her genuine loving smile.

"Don't worry, I will." Connor went back to playing around with the camera's settings. "I wanna take good photos like my mum. Like each photo has a story behind it."

"Every photo has a story behind it, sweetie," Rapunzel stated.

"Yeah, but, in my mum's work, there's more inside her photos besides the story. I dunno what it is, but, there's this thing in her photos that is hard to explain…"

Rapunzel placed a hand on her nephew's shoulders. "Don't think so hard. It will come to you eventually. I am really proud of you for taking up this hobby."

"I want to do this whenever I grow up. Can I work at your shop someday?"

The woman saw the young boy's hopeful eyes glowing with passion. A sight she grew to admire and known over the years. Rapunzel felt a heart string being tugged tightly as her emerald eyes were glued to her nephew sapphire orbs. A familiar color she had known for years.

When she was about to respond, she heard the sound of heavy luggage being dragged downstairs from the foyer. "Looks like they're here." She smiled. "And of course you're welcome to work for me. How's this summer?" Connor's eyes grew even wider. "I'll take that as a yes." She chuckled.

Rapunzel walked out of the living room and met up with her younger cousin. "Is this everything you're bringing?" She asked Elsa. "Looks like you guys are moving again."

Elsa saw the jokester grin on her cousin's face. "Good morning to you too, Punzie." The blonde rolled her eyes. "There only two lounges for me and the boys. Each of us has our own backpacks for personal belongs…"

"Hopefully you didn't bring your work with you." Rapunzel saw Elsa's messenger bag.

"Of course not, this is a two weeks trip with my family," Elsa stated, gripping to the shoulder strap of her bag.

Hope so, Connor quietly stated in his head. He walked passed the two women and decided to give Theo a hand with his oversize backpack. "Did you pack your bedroom in there?" He looked down at him.

Theo stuck out his tongue and giggled away. "Just my sketchbook and crayons. And my favorite books to keep me busy on the plane."

Rapunzel looked over Elsa's shoulders to see the boys helping each other. The sight warmed the mother of three's heart. The older woman is a business owner that also has to raise three kids with her husband. Two twin daughters and one son, each four years apart.

"C'mon let's start putting these into my car." Rapunzel nudged Elsa to the side while beginning to roll out one of the luggage.

"Sounds good." Elsa took the other luggage and followed her cousin to the driveway. "Hey do you know anything about dreams. What does it mean whenever you see someone from your past lately?"

Rapunzel opened the trunk from her white SUV and slowly placed the luggage inside. The brunette paused for a moment and then reached for the other luggage. Elsa lent a hand until she saw her cousin placing a hand over her chin. A pose she grew to know since they were little.

"May I know who?" She asked Elsa.

"Does it matter who?" Elsa quirked an eyebrow.

"Yes, it does silly! For a genius architect, you're very slow on dream theories." Rapunzel commented.

"Oh please, I am sorry for not taking dream-ology in college." Elsa crossed her arms over her chest.

"Well, Jane did." Rapunzel's smile faded away when she saw Elsa's face growing cold, bittersweetness in her eyes. "Right, about your dream. Now if this is an old friend for example, then either he or she is thinking about you or you're missing them. Missing anyone lately?"

"My wife." Elsa flat out lied. Of course, she missed Jane every day, but, her past is slowly haunting her.

"You sure? C'mon Elsa, we've known each other since we were little tater tots. Speaking about tater tots, you three need some morning grub before your flight." Rapunzel pointed at Elsa with her emerald eyes widen.

Elsa rolled her eyes and chuckled. Things never changed between the two of them, expect being wives and mothers, those are the two important elements that shifted their lives.

"Fine, you want me to be honest with you?" Rapunzel nodded while Elsa let out a sigh before continuing. "I've been seeing _her_ in my dreams lately. More like since we moved away from our old home to this one." Elsa looked over her shoulder to glance at the two-story modern house.

"Her?" Rapunzel placed a hand over her hip. Elsa nodded. "How long has it been? You two never talked since…"

"Since I left that Hesson Shields. I know" Elsa finished Rapunzel with bittersweetness between her lips.

"You know it's not _your_ fault that things took a turn after you left. You had your own dreams and she had her own." Rapunzel placed a hand on her cousin's shoulder.

"Then why do I still have this feeling deep inside me that I started everything." Elsa placed a hand over her heart.

Rapunzel placed her other hand on Elsa's other shoulder and stared at her dead in the eye. "Look Els, you two were just kids from different worlds. A hell of best friends, but, sometimes friendships has its limits. And even after leaving that town and…"

"Can we go now? Steve and I don't wanna miss the plane..."

The two women looked up to see the boys standing by the doorsteps looking at them with confused and impatience expression on their faces. Especially, Theo who was raising a brow at his dear mother. Connor stood by him with his head shaking.

"Steve?" Rapunzel raised a brow.

Elsa sighed. "His stuffed monkey." The blonde decided to be the one to finish packing up their belongs while the brunette went into the SUV and turned on the engine.

In minutes, the single mother of two helped her boys into the car. Connor helped Elsa buckle up Theo into his cousin's car seat, which was Rapunzel's son's to borrow during their ride to the airport. When everyone was settled inside, Rapunzel slowly backed out of the driveway and drove down the street.

* * *

Elsa was grateful to have a cousin like Rapunzel, she's sincere and kind-hearted to the point the woman was kind enough to give her and her boys a ride to the airport on a busy Friday morning. But, she still never understood how and why the brunette tends to have road rage that was close to a middle-aged truck driver with four hours of sleep. The older woman kept on honking and cursing at the drivers in front of her and the ones off to her side that never thought of showing their signals. Short story, the hour traffic in Arendelle City's busiest highway felt more of a two-hour ride through hell. Well, the single mother was calm and collective throughout the time because she saw her boys quietly occupying themselves. Connor kept on taking photos of the traffic while Theo was busy playing a level of Animal Crossing on his iPad mini.

Rapunzel managed to drop off the Andersons on time to catch their flight. Surprisingly gave them an extra hour to spare - for checking in their belongings and to grab a bite to eat before their six-hour flight to Lani.

The brunette gave the three one of her grand warm bear hugs before letting them go. She also advised the boys to watch their mother during their trip, telling them to not let their mother work unless she's busy trying to get to know a pretty girl; if she found one.

Elsa just rolled her eyes at her and reminded her cousin it's just a family trip. Rapunzel chuckled at her and told her she was never too old to start all over again.

The boys looked lost, especially Theo trying to translate what the two adults were talking about. Connor stayed quiet the whole time during the conversation. But the subject began to die out whenever Elsa was the one to wave goodbye to her chatterbox cousin as she began to guide her boys inside.

"Mommy, what was Auntie Punzie talking about? Finding a pretty girl." Theo asked her curiously.

Elsa raffled his hair. "Auntie is being silly that's all. Hey, hold on a second." The mother paused for a moment in the middle of the airport to get the boys attention. The two brothers faced their mother while she crouched down to their eye level. Elsa reached for both of their hands and gazed up at their beautiful sapphire eyes. "Look, I promise you this trip is going to be an adventure for all three of us. It's about time we spend more time like a family and have some fun after these two tough years. So whatever happens during this trip, we will stay as a family. Thick and through. Yeah?"

The single mother patiently waited for her boys' responses. In seconds Theo threw his arm up, dropping Steve and embraced his mother saying 'Yup!' Connor returned a smile at his mother and patted the top of her head.

"Wonderful! Now let's go catch our flight, shall we?" Elsa smiled.

"Yeah!" The boys agreed in unison.

The Andersons gathered up their belongings and headed towards to their assigned terminal. After checking in their luggage and being screened without any drama, thankfully, the family of three managed to find their departure station before getting on the plane. The flight took roughly six hours from Arendelle City to the island of Moe, or how the locals call it, Moe Isles, the main island where the beach town of Lani is settled in. While Moe was part of the archipelago called Moa Loa. Whenever the Andersons arrived in Moe's International Airport, the boys assumed they were going to follow the other tourists to the urban side of the island, but, instead they had to get into a small plane.

"Wait Lani is in another island?" Connor asked Elsa.

Elsa nodded. "Yup, it's a little bit remote but, very local. This plane is going to take us to the only airport on the other island."

"What does remote mean?" Theo asked them.

"Something that is far away." Connor enlightened his little brother.

"Is Lani a fairytale place? Like the bedtime stories you tell me, mommy?" The six-year-old asked Elsa. She nodded. "Oh is Lani a magical place?" Elsa nodded again. "Wow!"

Elsa chuckled while Connor was grinning as he watched his family climb up the flight of stairs that led them inside the plane. After everyone was settled inside, the compact plane departed off the airport runway and flew up to the grand blue sky. During the hour flight, Elsa saw the boys completely glued to the plane's window as they gazed down below. Connor took a few photos while Theo had his face and hand glued to the glass. Elsa took out her phone captured a few of the precious moments as well before settling herself down her seat as she patiently waited for the plane to land back down on solid ground.

As the plane landed and everyone left without a hassle, Elsa guided the boys to a renting center in the small airport. The boys sat on a sidewalk curb, guarding their belongs as they waited for their mother who was speaking with an employee and the manager over the sudden mishap with her rental. Apparently, the center ran out of the car she reserved a week ago. The two workers apologized for the issue and offer her a car that was available and they threw in a gas gift card she can use during her stay.

After a long thirty minute, the blonde gave in and took the offer. She waited outside with the boys until the manager drove a cherry red Jeep Wrangler from behind the center. Elsa's jaw dropped while the boys jump up from their spot and let out a 'wow' and 'whoa.'

"This is what you guys have left?" Elsa pointed at the run-down outdoor car.

"Yup." The manager happily smiled. "Sorry, ma'am but, this is what we have left. Most of the tourists that came in earlier gotten the better cars. But, she still runs like brand new!" The big guy jump out of the car, leaving the engine running and handed Elsa the gas card. "Enjoy your trip!"

Elsa annoying hopped into the driver's seat after settling the boys at the back of the Jeep. She was grateful that the center had some kid car seats for Theo to use. But, with Elsa's strict parenting she had to make sure some of them were suitable and safe for your son to use. Try five in total for the woman to test out. Watching the single mother puzzled the rental workers, but, the boys were used to it and they deeply appreciated Elsa's level of determination and dedication when it came to their safety.

"Everyone okay there?" Elsa asked the boys from looking at the rearview mirror. Connor nodded while Theo threw a thumbs up. "Belongs are secure at the back?"

Connor looked over his seat and scanned their bags for a second, "They're all here!"

"Alrighty onward to Lani then." Elsa smiled.

Even though the Wrangler looked a bit run down, the rental center managed to give it a tech upgrade. How does a well-reliable GPA that gets a live feed in a matter of seconds sounds? Even if they were in a remote jungle, their rental still can get some signal. Elsa pressed on the start button on the GPA touch screen and began to slowly drive away from the center. She followed the traffic flow of the isolated airport as she exited out onto the main highway of the island. In minutes, the Andersons were cruising through a two-lane highway with the ocean to their right and the local mountain range to their left.

With every inch they followed the asphalt carpet and decorated yellow stripes, a trail of memories came back from the depths from Elsa mind.

She pictured those morning drives in a cluttered camper RV with a strong scent of coconut board wax and the salty sea breeze slipping through the opened windows. It was like she was traveling through time whenever the echoes of the radio became clear to pick up what song was playing. The voice of the driver at the front of the camper was calling out her name.

"Elsa, do you dig this track?" The driver asked her. "It's one of my favorites nowadays." The driver was a man in his late thirties compared to his partner riding with him in the passenger seat. A woman not so younger than him, maybe a couple of years apart, she let out a laugh whenever the man began to sing a chorus or two.

Right beside Elsa was the ghost from her past, her red hair in twin pigtails released a deluge of other memories from the past. The redhead was carrying that similar smile Elsa grew up with it, rosy cheekbones with a touch of joy in her heartfelt set of teal-blue eyes. Everytime Elsa saw her face, she felt at home.

"Hey Elsa, look at the surfers over there?" The redhead pointed at the sight of morning risers catching the first waves during that day. Some barrels of wave forming down below the shoreline as the camper drove down a spiral highway to a nearby sandy beach.

As Elsa sat still in her seat, her memories guided her forward in time and back in the waters once again. She remembered sitting on her board one lazy afternoon, where the sun was setting to the point the sea was painted with tropical warm colors instead of the typical blues and greens during the day. In the distance, she saw the same redhead floating in the water on her board. That redhead was definitely a free spirit whenever she was in her element. As for Elsa, she used to remember cheering for her friend during their surfing sessions together. Always yelling at the top of her lungs.

When the wave dyed out below and the redhead's board led her back to where Elsa was watching. The blonde caught a closer glance at her old friend. She was smiling lovingly back at her, longing for something from her. But, at that time, the blonde never understood that strange feeling.

Suddenly, Elsa woke up from her trip from the past when she heard a loud pop coming underneath Wrangler.

"Oh shit," The single mother whispered underneath her lips before guiding the Jeep off the road an onto an emergency spot. "Everyone okay?" Elsa looked over her shoulders. She saw Connor a bit shaken up but returned a nod to ease his mother's weariness. Then the mother checked on her other son and was shocked to see him napping on his seat. The young blonde had his head tilted to the side, more like sleeping on his older brother's shoulder as a small trail of drool began racing out his lips.

"He's okay mom, Theo is always a heavy sleeper," Connor commented in a reserved tone.

Elsa nodded. "Let me check the Jeep and see what happened."

The mother turned off the engine, took the keys and jumped out of the Jeep. She scanned around the vehicle and stopped at the back to notice the left wheel was flatten.

"Looks like we have a flat tire," Elsa told Connor.

"Maybe it was that pothole you drove pass caused the tire to pop," Connor replied.

"I drove past a pothole?" Elsa quirked an eyebrow.

"Yeah, did you see it?" Connor continued. "This highway has some messy patches."

Elsa scratched her head. "Not sure if the center packed any tools for me to replace the tire. We do have a spare here."

The blonde opened up the bottom trunk of the Jeep to search for any toolbox and jack to use. While the spare tire was hanging outside, attached to the back of the trunk, Elsa had to search for at least some large rocks to secure the tire in place before lifting it.

"Any luck mom? I would help but, I pretty stuck here." Connor called out.

Elsa chuckled. "Thank you sweetie, but, I am still thinking of what do right now." She scratched her head.

"C'mon you have two degrees, architecture, and engineering, you're a math and science wiz and you can't find another way to fix a flat tire, c'mon Elsa."

"You're talking to yourself again, mom?" Connor asked.

Elsa popped her head from behind the Jeep to catch a glance at her son, but, he still hasn't moved from his spot. The brunet absolutely knew her as much as she knew herself.

"Yes, love. No worries." She responded.

The blonde decided to sit on the railings by the Jeep and stare at the flat for a moment. Then gaze up at the mountain range in front of her as she turned her back to the ocean in order to let the ocean soundscape dance into her ears. A noise she longed for all these years and a song she'll always play on repeat.

In the distance, the sound of loud music was pushing away the natural soundscape and attracting Elsa's attention. The blonde lifted her aviator sunglasses and squinted her eyes for a second, unsure if she could trust her shades or her own eyesight to suddenly see another car driving down the isolated highway. The music was a country song blasting from a rusty looking tow truck. Completely covered in rust from top to bottom. It's rims were completely copper brown or was that dirt from the soil around the area. The poor thing had only one headlight and missing it's other pair. The hook from the back of the truck still looked like it was workable. And yet, Elsa seems to not trust it from the trunk's personal condition.

"Howdy!" A middle-aged man, big-boned from only a profile perspective with his sunburnt skin, peach fuzz chin and pudgy arm muscles. He wore a patriotic color trucker hat with text saying 'Radiator Springs - Route 66.' The man waved at Elsa.

Elsa noticed the smile from the mechanic's face, a pair of two buck teeth caught her attention, but, from his large hazel eyes, he didn't mean any harm. She noticed him parking his rusty truck and opened the driver's door before jumping off the clunker. The mechanic was a husky man with a white plain T-shirt with a sleeveless flannel. Pairing up with stained old denim blue jeans with large working boots.

"Howdy again, how ya doin' ma'am?" The mechanic tipped the end of hat.

"Um, hi there, nothing much, just had a flat tire that's all." Elsa stated calmly.

The mechanic happily began scanning around the wrangler and soon to find the flat tire. "Looks like you do, how's that spare tire you got there, ma'am?" He pointed at the car's extra tire.

"Oh you're welcome to call me Elsa, and I am sure this one is alright." Thanks to Elsa's late wife, she grew to be friendlier and not be so reserved with strangers, especially those who right away acted kind and polite from the start.

"Oh, where's my manners! My name is Mater, owner of Tow Mater Towings." Mater smiled proudly.

"Towings?" Elsa raised an eyebrow.

"Oh yes! I run two towing services, but, right now I run my new one by myself over in Lani while my two best friends run the original Tow Mater Towing over at Radiator Springs." The old mechanic briefly explained his business history.

"Ah, I see." Elsa nodded.

Mater walked over to the spare tire where Elsa stood, who had her arms crossed and placed them over her chest. "What do you do for a living Ms. Elsa? Or Mrs. Elsa? I'm sorry if I'm asking too much, ma'am."

Elsa saw the Mater's face shifted from a jolly child to a soft old man with his heavy eyebrows arching over his large brown eyes.

"I'm a senior architect at my father's architecture and engineering firm. And…" Elsa paused and reached for the wedding ring that she kept on, even after her wife's passing. Her two fingers touched the cold circular metal as they slow danced around for a moment after Elsa commanded them to move away from the band. "And I'm sorry, I don't talk about my marriage with strangers."

"No apologies needed ma'am. I should be the one to apologize. Your business is your business is all I can say." Mater laughed embarrassingly. "Now lemme see that spare."

Mater slowly examined the tire, if it was a good fit as a new replacement. He rushed over back to his truck in search for a particular tool to help remove the spare off the back of the truck. In minutes he rushed back with the correct tool and began to loosen the bolts. After collecting the bolts and storing them in his back pocket for safekeeping, he removed the tire and let it fall onto the ground.

After a couple of bounces, Mater smiled. "Looks safe to use Elsa, wanna give me a hand with the fix-up?" He saw her nodding her head. "Great! With a little teamwork, you'll be back on the road in no time."

It took the two adults a good thirty minutes to fix the Jeep. Mater gave Elsa a strong high five almost causing the woman to fall off her feet. The two let out a good laugh which caused Theo to slowly wake up from his nap. His curiosity got the best of him as he quickly scanned his surrounds, confused over where he was and questioned why the Jeep stopped moving. Good thing, Connor was patient enough to bring him up to speed.

The little blond popped his head at the back and saw his mother speaking to Mater. "Mommy, did you fix the Jeep?"

Elsa turned over to see him and returned a smile. "Yes, it's fixed baby, thanks to Mr. Mater here." She pointed at Mater.

"Oh gosh, call me Mater. Mr. Mater is my pops." Mater tipped his cap again. "So are those your boys?" Elsa nodded. Mater let out a whistle. "Must be a handful caring for those lug nuggets." He chuckled.

Elsa returned a chuckle. "Sure is."

"So where are you guys headin'?" Mater kindly asked and kept it short so he won't sound to be noisy.

"We're heading to Lani." Elsa happily stated.

"Well ain't that's a surprise! I am heading back there too. Y'all are welcome to follow me there. My shop is right across from Aunt Cass's place. She can fix y'all up with some good Lani grub to eat. Whatcha say?" Mater offered his signature grin, where the Andersons saw his famous buck teeth.

Who can't say no to his grand generosity?

Elsa looked over her shoulders to see the boys responses. They happily agreed to the idea. Then she returned her attention at Mater. "Sounds good to me." She smiled.

"Great! Y'all just follow me." Mater rushed back to his truck and start it up. The machine became alive again and the jolly mechanic drove back on the road. In minutes Elsa did the same and began to follow Mater until they reached to the entrance point of the town.

"Welcome to Lani. A little piece of Heaven on Earth." She read the town sign before entering. She couldn't help it but let out a chuckle, thinking how the town's little travel slogan was a bit cheesy.

Well at least they made it in one piece is what Elsa happily concluded as she looked around town with an open mind. New location, time zones to get used to for two weeks and old weather she missed.

* * *

A perfect set of waves was forming over the horizon as a patch of surfers were skimming across the water. There was a grand competition happening on a busy shoreline during a calm summer day. Everyone from every local town came to see this special tournament with tremendous excitement to the point they were cheering on each surfer from the top of their lungs.

"Slippy Sammy Johnson, scored a perfect ten after that set, according to the judges. Can the next surfer beat that score?" The announcer behind a podium nearby the judges table happily commented from land.

Over at the wild waves forming barrels across the sea, a young redhead waited for the blow honk to give her the signal to start her final set.

"Next we have today's competition's wild card, Anna Strand. As a rookie surfer, can she beat Johnson, a pro legend? Let's see ladies and gentlemen!"

In minutes, the blow honk went off, signaling Anna to start paddling on her board. She had to dive underwater for a moment whenever one wave came passing by. It wasn't the perfect swell to help her win this competition. As she guided her board back up to the surface, she continued to paddle until she found the right wave to ride. She paddled forward to her choice of wave and turned her board before the wave lifted her up to the very top. In minutes she swiftly placed both feet on her board before pushing her upper body up to balance gracefully.

"Here we go." She said between her teeth.

As the beautiful swell formed a perfect barrel right behind the redhead, the crowd continued to scream and shout. Anna didn't look behind, cast a smile and pushed on forward. She playful touched the wet halfpipe with her hand as she continued skimming down the pipeline. However, just as she was starting to be comfortable with the flow of the wave, the barrel catch up to her. Back on shore, the crowd became weary whenever they saw the watery tunnel swallowed Anna up. But, in seconds, they saw Anna still standing, riding faster than the barrel than before.

"Well, holy sea turtles! Ladies and gentlemen, we got ourselves a maverick as a rookie!" The announcer shouted.

Anna pushed on forward until she guided her board on top of the halfpipe. Skidding on the tip of the wave before moving it back down with the help of her feet. A perfect smooth landing according to the judges.

"Let's see what the judges think," The announcer looked at the judges' table to see them raising up each a ten scorecard. "Three tens, a perfect score!"

The redhead couldn't help it but show off a big smile on her face whenever she heard the announcer. She closed her eyes as she let all the excitement from the crowd and the roaring waves echo beyond her mind as they became a smooth ambient song, guiding her into a peaceful state of mind.

Until she began to smell smoke.

Anna quickly opened her eyes to notice she wasn't on her board anymore, no sight of water or the crowd from the surfing competition. What stood in front of her was a frying grill and a smoking burger patty screaming, 'Hey crazy, you forgot about me! Again…'

"Anna, what the hell?!"

"Welcome back to Earth, Sugar Plum."

The redhead looked over her shoulders to see her friends, Tiana and Lottie, short for Charlotte, staring back at her with a mixture of nervousness and humor in their faces. Tiana was like Anna's older sister, making sure she was on her toes during their shifts at Aunt Cass's restaurant, The Pelican's Nest. As for Lottie, she was around the same as Tiana and acted more of the crazy, but, cool cousin between the two. She was naturally kind-hearted, but, can be over the place. Good thing, Tiana was the leader of their party of three.

"Was I out again?" Anna asked the girls.

"More like you were far far away from here. This is the seventh time this week, hun. You know it's hard to transmit a message to the International Space Station of Anna sometimes." Tiana explained, her tone shifted from serious to a hint of humor between her teeth.

Anna rolled her eyes. "Very funny, Tiana. At least nothing was burnt down."

A huge lie, which Tiana commented in her head. "Tell that to the seventh patty your burnt this week." She pointed at the burger that was still engulfed in flames.

The redhead looked over her shoulders. Her teal blue eyes widen, for someone who can rip through waves like a killer shark on a surfboard, she tends to be lost while being on land. Especially when it came to cooking or any nine to five jobs, to be honest.

"Lottie, quick, throw me the fire extinguisher!" Anna shouted.

Lottie just put down a basket of freshly cleaned plates and cups on the opposite side of the kitchen. The giddy blonde saw her reflection from the hanging stainless steel pans, using it as a mirror to fix up messy bum which she found to be more important than the hot mess, (no pun intended), happening in the room.

"For god sake girl, quit looking at yourself for once and hand me that fire extinguisher!" Anna shouted at her again.

The blonde kept her back turned away from the strawberry blonde and wagged her index finger. "Ah, what's the magic word?" She asked playfully.

Tiana saw how childish the two were acting and let out a sigh. This isn't her first rodeo and these situations became a daily routine at the Nest. The older woman picked up her feet and began walking towards the extinguisher. She exchanged an annoyed stare at Lottie before handing over it to Anna.

The other woman caught Tiana's classic 'I am annoyed at you right now' face. She swallowed the lump in throat and put out the flame.

Anna let out a sigh, let her head hang low while letting the extinguisher dangle in the air while still holding it. Tiana gave her pat on the back and went back to work.

"What's that smell?" Another blonde with her long locks tied back into a ponytail popped her head over the kitchen order window. She walked into the kitchen, leaning against the door frame.

"Anna burnt another poor patty," Tiana explained.

"Another one?" The other blonde halfway dropped her jaw in awe.

"Another one." Lottie confidently stated while combing a strain of hair behind her ear.

"It's nothing Aurora, don't you have to place some mats and update today's main menu?" Anna stared at her with no interest.

"Oh cheer up, Anna, it's only your seventh one this week." Aurora walked over to a small chalkboard nearby the doorway. A board that was hung by the girls for Anna to see. There was a table stating 'Total of Burnt Dishes by Anna.' They underlined the words to make a point and over emphasis that Anna can be a bad cook.

"What was Anna's victim yesterday?" Aurora was usually the one that jotted down Anna's mishaps but, she noticed someone made a tally mark before her.

"Broccoli." Tiana and Lottie said in unison.

Aurora looked over her shoulders to see Anna shrugging her shoulders. "What I wasn't a fan of that vegetable as a kid, and I still am." She fixed her left leg for a moment before walking away from the grill to lean against the metal counter where Lottie was still fitting her hair.

"And you're still working on your hair?" She raised an eyebrow at her friend.

"Look, sweetie, as someone who grew up in New Orleans, hairdos are a special thing that must be taken with care. Speaking of hair, when are you going to try something new? You never seem to change from that good old country farm girl twin pigtails of yours." Lottie smiled kindly.

"Excuse me?" Anna returned a glare. Tiana and Aurora covered their mouths, hiding away their chuckle and laughter. "You know I used to play with my hair, experiment different hairstyles years ago…"

"Then why not go back to that?" Lottie bluntly asked.

Anna eyes widen. She was a bit baffled over how that statement signaled a loud pitch inside her brain and suddenly tugged a string in her heart. 'Why not go back?' Those words began to echo in her head.

The other women saw Anna slowly staring out to space.

"There she goes again," Aurora stated while making another tally mark on the chalkboard.

Tiana let out another sigh and walked over to Anna. She placed a hand on the redhead's shoulders and used the other to rub softly on her arm. "Anna, pumpkin, come back to us," She patiently whispered.

"Is everything okay over here?"

The girls except Anna looked over their shoulders to see their boss with concerned eyes staring at them with her hands on her hips.

"Hi Aunt Cass," The girls greeted her with smiles and grins.

"What's going on with Anna?" Aunt Cass pointed at her young fry cook.

"Daydreaming again," Lottie stated bluntly, earning her a punch on the arm by Tiana. "Hey, what gives?"

Tiana returned a death stare at her friend. "Anna just zoned out again." She explained to Cass, grinning like a fool.

"And what happened there?" So far Cass has been asking the girls a lot of questions and pointed at everything around the kitchen. Aurora tapped Cass on the shoulder, directing her to look at their small chalkboard, the older woman noticed the new tally mark. "Another one? What was it this time?" She asked the girls.

"Burger patty." The girls said in unison which miraculously dragged Anna back to reality.

"Welcome back," Aunt Cass smiled, noticing Anna scanning around the room. "Now come along girls I need everyone's help this week, C'mon, head back to work." She kindly reminded them.

Everyone followed Cass's orders, Aurora left the kitchen with a spring on her feet as she went outside to work on the chalkboard menu. Tiana and Lottie teamed up to go fix up the tables at the front. They had a chat here and there with their other co-workers while Anna was left alone in the kitchen for just a brief moment. Enough for Cass to give the redhead a talk.

"Hey is everything okay? You've been off lately. Well, besides burning the food. That's typical of you. But, these zoning out episodes isn't you." Cass leaned against the counter right beside Anna.

"It's nothing really." Anna stated without giving her eye contact.

Aunt Cass chuckled. "You know I raised my two nephews, both of them are in college, and I know what those three words _really_ mean. C'mon jelly bean, spill it."

Anna looked down at her with tensed eyes. How can being haunted by your past be such a messy and troubling situation for one who has been running away from her years ago finally caught up to her?

"Aunt Cass! We have customers coming in."

The two women lifted themselves up and popped their heads up to see locals and tourists coming in by the pair or group through the kitchen window.

Save by the bell, Anna stated after letting out a sigh.

"Guess we need to gear up." Cass reached for a metal spatula and headed it over to Anna. The redhead firmly held it tight. "Now don't think you're off the hook about this one, we'll have a little chat after work, alright? C'mon lets 's go serve up some hungry bellies. And please, don't burn anything today, okay Anna." The redhead nodded her head. "That's my crazy chilly pepper." Cass softly rubbed Anna's arm before running out of the kitchen.

Soon the kitchen became lively again when other workers came in to help with the cooking and cleaning. Some of them exchanged smiles at Anna and gave her a pat on the shoulder before going back to work.

As for Anna, she glanced over at the small burnt hill of piled ground meat, looking more like fresh new coal. The cook let out a sigh and walked over to her station. She picked up the burnt up meat and tossed it at the nearby trash can before giving her grill a fresh clean up.

"Order up!" Aurora gave the kitchen staff a heads up. Everyone in the room including Anna let out a team cry, 'Who-ha' to signal their readiness for the battle. A battlefield of hungry appetites.

* * *

Mater's shop was located on the town's main street with an oceanside view. Right across from the street was the Pelican's Nest which was starting to get busy. Mater went ahead and parked by his shop, he gave Elsa wave to come over and park in his property. Both vehicles came to a full stop and parked. The boys followed their mother out of the Jeep and began to scan the town of Lani. Connor hung the strap of his camera around his neck before taking his little brother's hand after Elsa letting him out of his car seat.

"So this is Lani?" Elsa slowly took in what the small beach town had to show. For a place that was set by the ocean, she assumed it would be filled up with tourists more than locals.

"She's not much, but, still a beauty." Mater stood by her side, stretching his back for a second.

"What do you mean?" Elsa raised an eyebrow. "What I read online, this place would be packed with events and tourists coming in and out."

"Oh, this town does have some visitors, but, not that much since we had that bad storm."

Elsa nodded. "I've heard of that, terrible stories about what the storm has done. But, that was two years ago?"

Mater removed his trucker cap, revealing his reciting hairline. "Yup, but, there's still some more mess to clean up. That storm was a piece of work, Elsa."

Connor saw his mother looking at the buildings and homes that lined up across the street. Something he grew to notice since he was young. Though he never understood why he knew his mother was very passionate about what she enjoyed doing. She doesn't build structures for a living, she builds protection and security for others. Since he was small, Elsa taught him that having a home is an important thing to have in life. Not for survival but a sense of belonging.

"Mom, is something wrong?" Connor walked up to his mother.

Elsa looked down to see her eldest child staring at her with concerned eyes. She crouched down and began ruffling his surfer's hair. "Nothing to worry about, love, just thinking about something. Are you guys hungry?" She smiled at her boys.

"I can treat y'all to some good old home-cooking at the Pelican's Nest." Mater pointed at the packed restaurant shack across the street.

"That sounds awesome!" Theo cheered.

Connor and Elsa chuckled. "I'll pay for the bill." Elsa told Mater.

Mater put his hat back on. "Oh no, allow me." He placed his hand over his heart.

"Oh no, I insist. I owe you one after helping me out with that flat tire." Elsa mimicked the same gesture, with her hand over her heart.

But, Mater waved no. "Please allow me, its a Lani tradition that if we bring in a guest to town, we must treat them with respect and generosity no matter what. Mi casa is su casa."

Elsa quirked an eyebrow, she knew that saying, and yet, she was taught to treat others with respect and class. "But, Mater, you've done enough for me and my family. Please let me be the one to pay the tab."

Connor continued to watch the two politely arguing whom should pick up the tab while Theo was watching the adults like a little child watching too close to the TV with his almond-shaped eyes opened wide. He let go of his little brother's hand, dug into his short's pocket and took out a coin.

"Hey let's do a coin flip. What do you say?" The young photographer tossed the coin in the air. "Let it land on the ground," Mater shouted tails while Elsa shouted heads. The coin let out a ringing cry after landing onto the dirt. A man's face was staring back at the four. "Heads."

"Yes!" Elsa cheered happily like a ten-year-old getting picked first during gym class.

Mater chuckled. "Guess we're even then?"

"Where we're found, that's the rules." Elsa grinned.

The four walked across the street and made they're way inside the Pelican's Nest. They managed to grab a table that looked over the ocean while waiting for the hostess to gave them their menus before telling them that they'll waiter or waitress will stop by to get their orders soon.

"Mater, you're back early!"

The Andersons picked up their heads to see an average sized woman in her early forties walking up to their table with her arms wide open. Mater stood up from his seat and embraced the woman with a warm hug.

"It's nice to see you Cass!" Mater happily greeted.

"I guess your trip to the big island wasn't a hassle. Everything okay at your friend's shop?" Cass nudged him in the arm.

Mater let out a hearty laugh. "Not at all, Lightning just needed help for being short-handed. That island loves to host a lot of events." He let out a whisper.

"Sure does!" Cass smiled before shifting her attention at Elsa and the boys. "Now who do we have here?"

"Cass, meet Elsa and her sons, Conner and Theo." Mater kindly introduced the Andersons to one of his closest friends in town.

"So are guys visiting family or here on vacation?" Cass asked them after introducing themselves.

"Vacation for two weeks, that's all," Elsa stated.

"That's amazing! But, you've heard some of the hotels and motels aren't running for some time." Cass explained.

Elsa nodded. "I've heard, which is quite awful, but, we're staying at a local bed and breakfast, The Cottage is its name."

"Oh sweetie, that place is closed for three weeks. The Charming had to be out of town for a family emergency. They tried to get someone to help run the place while they're gone, but, couldn't at the last minute." Cass saw Elsa's sudden reaction.

"Oh my hope everything is okay, but, I..." Elsa kindly commented until she reached for her phone. Her eye widen when she saw an email notification from the Charmings apologizing for the sudden news and changed for their stay. At least she got a refunded.

"Is everything okay?" Mater asked from across the table.

"You guys have any good signal in the island?" Elsa smiled nervously.

"Nope, we're still getting that fixed," Cass stated. "But phone lines are still good as usual. Internet and cellular wise, it's a fifty-fifty situation. Sometimes you have it and sometimes you don't." She added.

"Well that's good, less distraction from work, isn't that right, Mom?" Connor grinned. Theo laughed. Elsa rolled her eyes at the boy and smiled.

"You know what, let me handle this. I'll go make a call with a friend to help you three with your situation." Cass smiled at Elsa and the boys.

"Oh thank you, but, you don't have to." Elsa waved her hands while shaking her head.

"No, please allow me, it's a town's tradition to help out strangers in need. Mater, I bet you want your usual am I right?" Cass asked the mechanic. Mater nodded happily. "And what can I get for you three?"

The boys told Cass they wanted the Nest's homemade flapjacks, bacon, and eggs. Cass gave the boys a salute. "And you, Elsa?"

Elsa snapped back to reality after a moment looking at her phone. "Oh, I'll have what Mater's having." She stated before going through her phone, checking if she can get access to her emails even though she was told that getting any WiFi or Internet was a hassle on the island at the moment.

Cass and Mater both exchanged looks. The mechanic smiled and shrugged his shoulders, Cass laughed it off before heading to the kitchen to hand out the orders.

"Okay guys, more orders!" Cass shouted in the kitchen.

Anna walked up to the kitchen window to grab more of the written orders. While holding to one of the papers, her teal blue eyes caught sight of something that reeled in her brain and dragged her back to the past. A gust of memories felt like getting hit by a freight train, but, miraculously survived.

"No way," She whispered whenever she saw a woman with porcelain skin and platinum blonde hair laughing in the distance. Anna rubbed her eyes for a second, thinking she was dreaming or the gas fumes were messing up with her visions. And yet, the same woman she just saw never moved. "It can't be…"

Paralyzed from head to toe, Anna was stuck to the point she couldn't move, how can something from her past suddenly came back out of the blue. While the cook was frozen cold, the kitchen was heating up once again, not by the busy hustle and bustling, but, the grill being engulfed in flames once again and the kitchen staff trying to put it out. Another innocent burger patty has gone up in flames.

* * *

 **A/N: A very long chapter! But, worth it before heading off for a week-long vacation - So no upload next weekend! Many thanks once again for taking the time to read my story/review/follow/favorite! Enjoy the rest of your weekend and have an awesome week**


	4. Chapter 4 - Washed Away Sand Castles

Even though it was a hot and balmy evening, it was the coldest summer night Anna has ever witnessed in her life. 'If that's what you want,' was the very last words she heard coming out of _her_ lips while the soul that sat beside her stood up from the front steps of the redhead's house. They were young to understand what love was at the time, but, never too young to see what their feelings were doing to their friendship.

It's all my fault, Anna concluded.

The young seventeen-year-old watched the older woman with braided platinum blonde hair slowly walk away, sadly dragging her feet back to her beat up used Land Rover.

"Elsa," Anna called out the blonde's name, tasting a bitterness of regret in her tongue.

The blonde was only a couple of years older than Anna, her mind was maturing and she knew, putting more fuel into their wildfire of emotions will make their mess worst. All Elsa could do was to look back at Anna with her melancholy crystal blue eyes. She stared back at her longingly, heart aching painfully, but, her mind overpowered her emotions by reminding her that this was the _only_ best way to go. In silence, the two briefly listened to the waves singing in the distance. How they heard them crashing against the rocks down below by the shoreline. The same symphony that brought these two friends together. And now, the same ocean was playing a new melody, something more bittersweet which the two could taste and smell the salty air.

"Elsa, please don't...can we just…" The tone in Anna's voice was slowly becoming husky, a bit dry, while being tongue-tied. Confused to pick what were the _right_ words to say. "Please don't go…"

Elsa took a deep breath before opening the driver's door. The blonde jumped inside the SUV and awaken its engine. The headlights were turned on so bright, Anna had to shield her eyes for a brief moment. But, she managed to see her old friend slowly backing up from her driveway before driving away.

The blonde didn't glance back at her, a sight Anna forever recorded in her mind, which she labeled and concluded was the end of their friendship. But, the young reckless redhead accepted how she messed up her life once again.

* * *

The smell of a burnt meat didn't wake up Anna's sense to drag her back to reality. It was her own mind, finally able to guide her back home. And yet, she didn't notice the chaos happening in the kitchen. She took another glance at the blonde from through the large kitchen window once again before storming off. Tiana saw Anna removing her apron as she dropped it onto the kitchen floor. The other woman rushed over to catch the cloth in time and yet just as she was about to chase her friend, Anna was gone.

A ringing noise entered Anna's ears after exiting out of the restaurant. She climbed down the flight of stairs behind the place before running down the sandy shoreline. It wasn't those beaches where the sand causes your feet to sink, it was solid and cold flat sandy terrain that was good for morning runs, but, in Anna's case, she needed a good alone time to catch her breath and calm down her reckless mind.

I can't choke on my memories, not like last time. Anna remembered while jogging down a patchy grassy field with tall blades growing out from the beach floor. Without looking back, she created her own trail down the pathless field and small rolling sandy hills. After a good three mile run, Anna slowly pressed n the brakes and decided to walk the rest of the way, unknowingly where to go. The redhead paused for a moment to rub her left thigh. Her hand slided farther down until she touched the cold metal parts of her amputated leg. She briefly scanned for anything that might have gotten stuck, only to find a piece of seaweed that hitched a ride on her left foot.

She kicked off the sea plant and pressed on walking down the shoreline where the ocean met the land. Anna enjoyed those quiet strolls where she felt the waters tickling underneath her feet. Even though she had one real foot, that didn't prevent her from doing what she loved to do, and surfing was definitely one of them. In the distance, Anna spotted a patch of rounded rocks and boulders that were nice enough to sit on to watch the waves and monstrous clouds tower over the horizon.

"Ah, this is a good spot," Anna commented after sitting down on a boulder. She pressed her knees up to her chest while crossing her arms over them before resting her chin on her arms. The redhead ended up watching the calming set of swells coming up from the surface. She spotted a group of surfers, all lined up while waiting for that one perfect wave. The waves began to sing a familiar melody that slowly dragged Anna back to the past once again.

* * *

The ocean was calling out their names whenever Anna and Elsa arrived at one of Anna's adopted father's favorite surfing spots. It was during the weekday whenever the two teenagers were checking out the site out. While they knew they should be in class, they couldn't say no whenever they saw clear blue skies that Friday morning.

"You sure it's worth it to be here?" A sixteen-year-old Elsa asked nervously at her crazy jolly redhead friend who was tightly holding onto her surfboard. Anna stuck her board into the sand and glanced at the smooth swells in the distance. "Anna," Elsa called out her name.

It was no use, the redhead left her board, then began to run at full speed into the ocean and dived into a wave. A rush of water tickled her ears, quickly waking up the young surfer's senses - gearing up for a day of endless surfing and spending some good time with her closest friend.

Elsa saw her broke through the surface. "That crazy fireball." She chuckled before running into the ocean to meet up with Anna while leaving her board on the beach too.

The blonde could taste the salty water after diving into the ocean. Elsa whipped out her platinum blonde hair which wasn't braided during that day. It was hanging loose where the young blonde decided to let her hair down. She combed her bangs to side out of her eyes before swimming out. Both girls scanned the horizon, in seconds, both exchanged smiles after what they saw. A good-size set of waves rolling in one after another near where they were. Each wave was lined up like soldiers, marching in unison towards the girls as if they were generals of an army.

Soon the two splashed back to shore, swimming like killer sharks before crossing down the hot sand to their surfboards. Each girl strapped on their board's leash, the usual long urethane rope that was wrapped around one of their ankles at one end and other was attached to the tail of their boards. They picked up their boards and dashed back into the ocean. Two boards were floating on the water while dancing in front of the two young surfers. Elsa and Anna were pushing their boards along until the ocean water reached their waist.

"Like I taught you." Anna looked over to her side, to see Elsa getting ready to position herself to paddle her board correctly.

"More like what your dad taught us." Elsa giggled.

Anna rolled her eyes back at her. "Sure whatever Els, but, I am your teacher today."

The blonde giggled. "Whatever you say, old wise one."

They smoothly slid face down onto the center of their boards, the deck is what it's called. Then began to pull their arms through the water in even strokes, basically paddling away from the shore and toward the good-size waves. Even though Elsa was still new to the extreme water sport, Anna started surfing since she was a little kid. It was one of the most special things in life, more like a token which she'll always cherish the most. Surfing was something she bonded with her adopted family and she'll forever be grateful for what the sport has given her.

From what the girls learned from Anna's father, the sea was always unpredictable and powerful. But, the most important aspect to keep in mind was to always respect the ocean no matter what. Even putting safety and basic skills into his lessons, Anna's father had taught the girls to balance fun and responsibilities whenever it came to this sport.

Right now, the two truly knew they broke that rule - but, they couldn't help it when good waves were passing by that had their names on it.

The girls continued to pull themselves along through the water soon to notice they weren't alone during that day. Other people were out surfing, a bit older than the two. Anna and Elsa noticed a few were exchanging looks while quietly whispering among each other. The girls assumed they were questioning why two teenagers were out surfing beside hitting the books at school. The other surfers simply nodded their heads while the girls passed by and went back to watching the other surfers that were already out catching some awesome sets.

Everyone sat on their boards and watched for a good wave. More surfers were paddling out to join the line up - a place where surfers waited for their turn to surf a set. Up ahead were three skillful surfers, the girls assumed they were good friends after hearing them cheer each other on during their session. The three stood confidently on their boards, filled up with a lot of free spirit in their souls while slicing their way back to shore.

After reaching up to the lineup, they sat upon their boards, and bobbed to the rhythm of rolling waves, while a cool breeze blew across their faces and arms. Elsa saw Anna adjusting the neck of her short-sleeved rash guard. A shirt with stretchy fabric that kept her chest from scraping against her board. Also, the clothing kept the redhead warm. Elsa on the other hand only wore her two-piece bikini and boardshorts. Anna still didn't understand how the other girl could handle the cold waters. Since they first met, Elsa told her that the cold never bothered her as a little girl.

Anna looked around and spotted a decent swell. She glanced at Elsa and the other surfers. Of course, Elsa was still new at the sport and won't right away chase after any wave, unless Anna told her to. Sooner or later, the blonde needed to trust her own instincts.

"That one is for you," Anna told Elsa after seeing no one making a move to take the coming wave.

Elsa raised an eyebrow. "You sure? I see your name on it."

Anna shook her head. "Nope, you should take it. C'mon Els, start following your gut for once." The redhead giggled. "Don't worry, I will definitely catch my own before the day ends. Now, go on blondie!" She softly splashed some water at Elsa only to wet the deck of her board.

The blonde rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'll go."

"That's the spirit!" Anna lifted her hand high, waiting for Elsa to return the gesture with a high five. When both of their hands met, they quickly held onto each other to form a solid fist to symbol their strong bond. After a moment, their hands separated. Elsa laid down on her board and began to paddle, stroking hard to stay ahead of the wave. In minutes, the young surfer felt the moment of the wave surging beneath her and started pushing her forward. Anna patiently watched her in the distance, she bit her lip, waiting and hoping at the same time to see if Elsa finally learned to rely more on her instinct. And basically following her lessons, of course.

"C'mon Elsa," Anna whispered underneath her lips.

The blonde felt the sudden spark beneath her board. In one swift move, Elsa shot from a prone to a standing position on her board. Like how Anna and the redhead's father taught her, the correct stance was her feet shoulder-width apart, left foot forward, right foot planted on the traction pad; which was at the tail of the board, and knees bent. Lastly, she stretched her arms out and leaned forward for balance.

"That's my girl!" Anna shouted from the lineup. The other surfers turned their heads, focusing their attention on the redhead. Some were confused while raising an eyebrow, others laughed with joy and cheered for her and Elsa. In seconds, Anna noticed the sudden attention, causing the redhead to become redder than her strawberry blonde hair.

Elsa caught a perfect wave for a newbie. The wave began to broke from her left side toward her right. She rode the swell frontside, the white water boiling at her back and the crest rounding in front of her. From underneath her board, the water was becoming more alive than before, rippling and strong. She pumped the board by pushing it up and down with her feet in order to gain some speed - to reverse direction and catch some air.

Anna noticed the change of direction of Elsa and her board. The redhead realized she was losing air on her board and the blonde was riding the wave straight into the shoreline. She turned her board around and decided to catch a quick wave that was right beside her. It was a similar good-size wave that Elsa chased and it gave enough force to carry Anna back to shore.

When the water was a couple of feet deep, Elsa leaped out of her board. Her feet felt the first touch of sand underneath the water before carrying her board back to shore. After finding a good spot to rest on, the blonde removed her ankle strap and set on the warm sand with her board right by her side.

In the distance, she saw Anna riding a baby wave back to shore. The sight made Elsa chuckle or two. In minutes Anna rushed towards Elsa with her board tightly carried by her side.

"Hey, are you okay?" Anna was slightly breathless while looking down at her. Elsa nodded. "You sure?" The redhead wanted to make sure.

Elsa reached for Anna's free hand and pulled her down to her knees. Anna dropped her board whenever her knees touched the sand. In seconds, the blonde embraced her redhead friend. Her arms around Anna's neck, a warm touch to the bone, a new feeling which the redhead haven't experience before. For someone who could fight the cold, Elsa was filled with an astonishing amount of warmth inside. Anna completed the hug by returning the same gesture, resting her head on Elsa's shoulders.

"Thank you." She happily whispered into Anna's ear.

* * *

The sound of cheers and shouting carried Anna back to the present, her memory from the past washed away like a sand castle by the shoreline once built up and soon dissolved by the sea. But, it was her mind's decision whether to recall those old memories and rebuild new ones. Memories will forever be a mystery for the redhead and so far, she felt like her mind was just toying with her. Just over a ghost from her past.

"We made a pack years ago." Anna looked down at the handmade bracelet that was crafted with fishing line and found broken shells. Her finger traced along the ridged edges of the shells and then made her hand wrap around the bracelet that settled on her wrist. She wondered why she kept it for all those years.

"Why are these memories and feelings coming back?" She glanced back at the lineup. Few surfers were waiting to catch the perfect wave. They were all scattered, slicing through the water as a team.

They're more at peace than I am, Anna concluded before letting out a sigh.

"No Anna, C'mon, you washed away those days years ago. What makes you think things have changed and maybe, just maybe, can rekindle those good old times again." Anna tried to talk to her mind, trying to keep it away from the sudden burst of trips to the past. "C'mon, think about the present and future, keep moving on. She made her decision years ago, and you already made yours. There's no way going back."

The redhead slowly stood up from sandy and rocky ground. She dust off the sand and dirt from her legs, especially her left side before heading back to the Pelican's Nest. With every step she took, she recited a message for her mind to stay focus. And yet, those chants and personal cheering from her adopted father only helped her in a brief moment in her life. Thinking back then, just made her chuckle how her father's lessons were ridiculous and yet, they were the few things that helped her deal with her many struggles in life. So she can't hate him, all she kept on doing was honor him in whichever way she could. And that was to continuing surfing, not only for her family but, for herself.

* * *

Empty plates was a beautiful sight for Cass to see. Whenever she stopped over at the Andersons' table, no single crumb was left on their plates. She was astonished at how Elsa managed to devour her meal which was a stack of pancakes, one pound of bacon and a crescent-shaped cheese omelet. The owner will never know where the blonde would store away all that food. Well, she assumed it was all those years having two boys.

"I bet those nine-months of endless eating really paid off." Cass smiled at Elsa

"Pardon me?" Elsa grinned, a bit confused at Cass's statement.

"You know, the journey before these two came into the world?" The older woman pointed at Connor and Theo, which were goofing off over a little game of who could balance a spoon on their nose the longest.

Elsa glanced over and her eyes widen. "Oh!" She chuckled. "My wife did all the work, I just helped with making sure she was alright and happy during those nine months." The blonde rubbed the back of her neck.

"Ooh!" Cass laughed. "My apologies."

"If you're questioning how I have a big appetite. It's all from all the sports I've done as a kid. Especially, surfing, that sport will make you build up an appetite." Elsa explained.

"Huh, maybe Mater should try to do a little surfing once in awhile." Cass chuckled.

"What do you mean Cass?" Mater patted this rounded belly. "I am in very good shape for your information."

Everyone burst into laughter.

"May I have the check, Cass, if you don't mind," Elsa asked kindly.

"Oh you don't need to do that, your first meal here is on the house," Cass replied while stacking up and picking up everyone's plates.

"Oh no, please do let me, it's the least I can do for helping me and my family out," Elsa explained.

Just as Cass was about to respond back, Mater interrupted her, giving the owner a heads up to let Elsa pay the bill because he explained how they ended up in this similar scenario a moment ago and it was best to let the blonde pay.

After generously paying for their meal, the Andersons waited outside to meet up with one of Cass's friends. The boys found something to keep them occupied while waiting. Connor went along a brief photography stroll, taking pictures of his surroundings while Theo was tagging along, watching his older brother being in his own element. In the distance, Elsa kept an eye on the boys from the restaurant's open outdoor patio where Elsa and Mater sat down in an empty picnic table.

"So how long have you been living in Lani?" Elsa asked from across the table.

"Hmm, I believe around five years. This summer makes it six. I guess time has gone by whenever you're having fun here." Mater smiled.

"Fun?" Elsa looked around the main street of the town by the sea. A few cars drove back the highway while the shops were quiet with little foot traffic coming in and out of the establishments. It was nothing compared to the city life Elsa and the boys were used to seeing.

Mater chuckled. "Now come on now, I know the town looks a bit beat up, but, trust me, this place used to be a hustling and bustling. And it still is. Just needs more tender loving care that's all."

Elsa nodded. "So that hat of your's, I guess you're from Radiator Springs, Utah, am I right?"

Mater nodded. "You know you're geography there, Elsa."

"I used to travel a lot for work. And the same goes for my wife. I think she had an assignment there one time for a racing competition or was it for an editorial." Elsa scratched the back of her head. "I think it was for an editorial for a nature traveling publication."

Mater laughed. "Yeup, proud to be born and raised there. Radiator Springs will forever be my home. But, Lani has something inside that right away felt like home whenever I drove into the town line."

"Like what?" Elsa raised an eyebrow.

"My own piece of heaven, I reckon." Mater smiled, showing off his two buck teeth.

A piece of heaven, Elsa began to ponder, remembering how that sounded similar to the slogan on the town's sign.

"If you don't mind me asking, what made you moved over here?" Elsa watched a few cars passing by and caught a glance of some of the locals walking down the street.

"Well my friends, Sally and Lightning inspired me to go traveling one day. Those two loves to travel, so I ended up here for one summer and then everything is history. I packed my bags, hopped on a plane, and drove back to this town for good."

"Did you know my _mummy_ visited Lani before?"

The two adults looked across the end of the table to see Theo happily smiling at them. He casually walked over and sat nearby his mother.

"Your wife used to visit Lani?" Mater questioned.

"Yeah! My mom told me my other mummy visited Lani before meeting my mom." Theo began to explain, but, Elsa corrected him that Jane visited the town before they married because she had an assignment about the town.

Mater nodded, understanding what the little one is trying to tell. "If you don't mind me asking, where is she right now? On another assignment, I bet."

Elsa paused, briefly took a moment before responding. Mater noticed the sudden shift of the mood happening around the table. He saw Elsa playing with her wedding ring, her index finger and thumb dancing around the circular metal, assuming the woman is just feeling the smooth surface or was having trouble with discomfort in her ring finger.

"My apologies if I touched a sensitive topic and stepped over your boundaries." Mater waved his hands in front of him, apologizing for his rudeness.

Elsa's eyes widen. "Oh no trouble at all. My wife, Jane, left us two years ago." She paused once again.

Mater noticed small teardrops forming at the corner of the woman's eyes. "You don't need to explain anything else if you don't want to. I understand it's a sensitive topic for you and the boys. From what I've heard so far, I bet the woman was a very talented photographer and amazing mother and wife." He smiled at Elsa and Theo.

"Thank you, Mater." Elsa returned a soft genuine smile.

The mechanic tipped his hat. When the two adults were about to continue their conversation, they heard a loud honk coming from a truck driving into the restaurant's parking lot. They looked over their shoulders to see a large old Ford F150 parking not far from where they were sitting.

"Guess that's Bulda." Mater stated.

"You mean Cass's friend?" Elsa asked him.

The mechanic nodded. "Come on, I'll introduce y'all to her."

Cass's friend stepped out of the passenger side of the truck. She was quite small compared to the height of the vehicle. From the driver's side came out a rather tall man with blond hair and big bone structure. He was either in his early or mid-thirties, maybe, it was something in genes that made him looked younger. Something similar to how Elsa looked, the woman was already in her thirties, but, looked faily young despite her stressful and hectic work life. Unlike the small woman with cocoa skin, he was light skinned with patches of sunburn across his face and arms.

"Elsa, I like you to meet Bulda and her son, Kristoff." Mater smiled.

"Hello there dear." Bulda waved at the blonde.

"Bulda you came!" Class hurried from the restaurant to meet her.

"Of course I came along. After telling me we have new visitors in town that needed help, of course, I had to come!" The older woman stated.

"Thank you for coming. So this is Elsa and her sons, Conner and Theo.

Theo smiled at the two women and Bulda's son, where he suddenly grew fond of the big guy because of his hair or was it his gamer T-shirt of Legend of Zelda? "Hey cool shirt! I like that game." Theo pointed at Kristoff's shirt. The older man returned a smile and thanked him.

"Now let's see, Cass already told me about your situation through the phone," Bulda told Elsa. "Good news, there is an opened cottage in the town that is perfect for you all." The small woman smiled.

"And the bad news?" Connor and Elsa said in unison, both exchanged looks at each other before looking at Bulda.

Bulda blinked twice looking a bit embarrassed. Kristoff chuckled and patted his mother's shoulder. "I got this mom."

"The place isn't that bad. A little run-down after all these years, but, it's still standing and working just fine. My Grandpappie used to run the place like what we call nowadays an Airbnb cottage. It's free of charge and definitely comes with a nice view. What do you say?" He told the Andersons.

Elsa took a moment to think it over. She's quite interested in seeing the structure because of her curious architect mind, but, she needed to put the boys' safety first before any of her interests.

"It will save you a trip from going into a wild goose chase at the next town. Probably already packed and no vacancies in the motels or hotels." Cass informed the single mother.

"Also, we can help you three move in nicely. I know we all just met in all. But we don't mind pitching in if you three need anything. Won't we guys?" Mater looked at his friends after giving a smile at the Andersons.

The blonde blushed at the offered. Not feeling offended and not ashamed of the sudden amount of generosity, she was a bit shocked by their kindness, even though they were complete strangers. Theo and Connor weren't arguing at the offer, they were very calm and collective compared to her, a bit uneasy over the idea.

"I don't want to judge about the place, I guess we should give it a look before declining the offer," Elsa stated at the four strangers in front of her.

Connor looked up at his mother, a bit surprised at her sudden responses. Since growing up, he saw Elsa always hesitant at first when it came to situations like this. Whenever things didn't go according to plan, Elsa tends to push herself away and found another way to stay away from the trouble. The habit has gotten worse since his other's mother's passing. Elsa grew more afraid and worried a lot for her sake, himself and his little brother. But, that fear simply made the family fall behind the pack or put themselves into isolation.

Like she shut the door from the world in order to protect herself from all her troubles.

Now, while he stood by her side, he saw this side of his mother only through Jane's photographs. Brave and determined young Elsa from the past. How long can his mother keep this sudden attitude?

"So what do you say, guys? Do you want to live in a cottage for two weeks? It's kinda like camping if you look at it." The single mother crouched down to her boys' eye level. The boys nodded their heads in agreement. "Sounds good." She ruffled their hairs which cast a smile on each of their faces.

Elsa stood up from the ground and gave the four adults a nod. The four locals cheered with joy and rushed over to the Andersons, officially welcoming them to town as they chatted about how they're going to the place right this second. Cass told Bulda she had to stay back to watch over her restaurant. Mater felt sorry for leaving his new friends because he had to run his shop for the day. But, he told them he can stop by after work if he could.

The Andersons thank the two for their astonishing hospitality before heading over to their Jeep. The two, Cass and Mater gave the boys each a warm bear hug before they departed ways. Bulda explained to Elsa to follow her and Kristoff to the cottage to save them the trouble for looking for it on their own. Elsa understood and in minutes the truck and jeep headed out, deeper into town on a pleasant early afternoon.

* * *

The clock keep on ticking away, constantly moving like the staff in the kitchen. As for Tiana and Aurora, they were outside at the back of the Pelican's Nest, leaning against the wooden railing of the flight of stairs and watching the ocean's waves coming up to shore. While enjoying their peaceful break, they spotted their restless redhead friend down the beach.

Aurora waved at Anna in order to get her attention while Tiana simply shook her head. The woman stood up and began walking down the flight of stairs, Aurora followed her from behind.

"Where did you run off to?" Tiana had her hand on her hips. Anna was silent whenever she walked passed them. "You looked like you saw a ghost back in there." Anna's friend sounded very concerned.

"Guess my past is finally coming back to haunt my ass." Anna didn't give them a glance, she went on climbing up the wooden steps.

"What are you talking about?" Aurora asked her. She looked at Tiana for anything she can add on or get Anna's attention. The other woman shrugged her shoulders.

"C'mon Anna quit playing games with us. What is going on with you? You haven't been yourself lately." Tiana rushed up the stairs, but, was slow to catch up with Anna. She nearly fell halfway up, but, Anna was surprisingly there to catch her fall.

"Dang for a someone with one leg, you can run fast," Aurora commented, soon to realized she accidentally stating something rude. "Oh gosh, that's not what I meant Anna."

Anna nodded. "I know Aurora, no worries." She sighed and looked down at her fallen friend while giving her a hand to get back up from the ground. "I rather talk things over with you girls over good drinks and food. I am not in the mood to tell stories right now. Plus no one is going to cook those burgers by themselves."

The two other woman both exchanged each other looks after watching Anna walk back inside the establishment. Aurora looked confused while Tiana continued to carry a worried look on her face.

"Seriously, what did she meant about her past coming after her?" Aurora asked Tiana.

"Beats me, for what I know, since day one, Anna was always a kind-hearted person, but, never saw her so distant from us since these last two weeks. We need to talk to her. For what is worth, we might get to know more about her. The _real_ Anna." Tiana explained.

* * *

 **A/N: Very sorry for the late upload! Busy weekend for me. Many thank again for the new followers/favorites/reviews/views in this story, totally helps me keep on writing and sharing! Sorry for a short chapter this weekend but, please do stay tuned next weekend for more! Also, what do you think of the story so far, curious to know?**


	5. Chapter 5 - Teal & Orange

There was something special about the cottage whenever the Andersons first arrived at the location. Even though, Elsa assumed it looked small from afar, it was completely isolated from the town; more like a castle on top of a hill through the architect's eyes. And who can't say no to the cliffside view of the ocean below and the nearby shoreline that stretched for miles?

"What do you guys think?" Elsa asked the boys while driving the Jeep.

"Looks okay from the outside, all it matters is what it looks like from the inside." Connor bluntly stated from the back.

Elsa glanced at the rearview mirror and saw him busy taking pictures with Jane's camera. The sudden words that came out of her son's mouth didn't remind her of her late wife, but, of course, she would be the person that would say those things. It was a saying she recalled about an old childhood friend that used to say things like what Connor stated. One of them was about 'The Golden Rule' – Never judge a book from its cover.

But, her friend was comparing about waves whenever she first heard the statement.

Don't right away assume the first wave you'll see, will be "the one," give that wave some time before swimming after it.

Looking back that statement sounded more about love than catching the best wave, Elsa concluded while keeping her eyes on the road.

The blonde never knew that statement played a big role throughout her life. She carried and follow it like it was her life's motto or philosophy. The statement shaped her friendships with others, built her marriage and lastly a lesson which she taught her boys to follow.

"That's the spirit, love! Who knows it will look nice in the inside?" Elsa added.

Both cars parked into a dirt-covered driveway that only had space for two vehicles. Quite convenient for the two families. Bulda and Kristoff were the first to get off from their truck before the Andersons exited out of their Jeep.

"Well, here it is!" Bulda raised her hands in the air, excited to showcase the three about the little cottage.

"C'mon lemme give you guys the grand tour," Kristoff called them over.

The boys went ahead and followed Kristoff inside the cottage. Elsa and Bulda followed from behind. Curious as she was, Bulda started a little friendly conversation with a regal Elsa who had her arms crossed over her chest.

"So what do you do for a living, Elsa?" Bulda asked kindly.

Elsa cast a grand smile on her face before speaking. "I am one of the head architects at my father's architecture and engineering firm. I enjoy designing structures for the public."

"So like buildings in cities, am I right?" Bulda looked up at the woman.

"Most of the time, yes. We generally get a lot of projects for schools, apartment complexes, malls, and centers. But, what I enjoy the most is designing homes for families or fixing up an old building for a new small business. There's something magical whenever it comes to helping others in need with your passion, you know."

The older woman saw Elsa eyes, a set of crystal blue eyes filled with passion, ambition, and hope. "I bet your family must be proud of all your accomplishments."

Elsa's smile slowly changed to a calm grin on the side of her face. She began to fiddle with her wedding ring before softly massaging her tired hands. "I hope they continue loving me no matter what. Putting my career aside, my family is the most important thing in my life." She explained to Bulda.

"What does your spouse do for a living? If I may ask." The blonde paused for a moment. Bulda stopped walking and continued to focus her attention at Elsa - curiosity was still filling her mind, but, a sense of apology escape through her lips. "I'm sorry if I am being too noisy."

Elsa shook her head. "No you're not, it's just I am still getting used to it. And my boys too." The blonde let out a sight. Just as she was about to continue, Bulda kindly interrupted her, stating she doesn't need to tell her if she's uncomfortable to tell. The older woman knew that expression on Elsa's face whenever she saw her fiddling with her ring and cast a frown on her face.

Since growing up, Bulda saw a mirrored-reflection of her own dearest father through Elsa. A windower missing his other half.

The two women met up with Kristoff who was leaning against the front door frame while watching the boys admire the inside of the cottage.

"They seem to like it." Kristoff smiled at Elsa.

"C'mon, the second floor has a grand view of the ocean." Kristoff guided the Andersons to a flight of wooden staircases without a railing for support. They had to rely on the wall for balance as they all climbed up in a single file line.

"So who used to use this home?" Elsa asked the Bjorgmans.

"This used to be my father's home. Well, whenever he was single and before my parents had me." Bulda laughed. "He never wanted to let go of this place so he decided to keep it and turn it into a cottage the town can use whenever someone needed a roof over their heads."

"That's something I admire about my Grandpabbie, always sharing no matter what. If your family or a stranger, he'll always try his best to help someone out, even if he's giving a piece of something very dear to him for others to use." Kristoff added.

Elsa truly admired what Bulda and Kristoff stated. Somehow their stories about this Grandpabbie reminded her of someone from her past that share similar personalities and values. Of course, Jane was an angel in her own way, but, Elsa can't put her finger on it - Was it her old childhood friend or someone else?

"So, mommy what do you think?"

The blonde blinked twice after feeling her youngest son warm touch. Theo was patting her tigh to gain her attention.

"Sorry sweetie, did you ask something?" She embarrassingly smiled down at him.

"What do you think of the space?" Connor helped out.

Elsa looked around and saw how spacious the second floor was. No extra walls beside the four long wide wooden walls. Behind where Kristoff stood was a set of French double doors, perhaps, that led to a small balcony that looked over the side of the property and a view of the ocean.

"Go on and check out the balcony, you'll love the view." Bulda opened the doors to the Andersons.

The three of them slowly walked onto the sturdy wooden balcony that was supported by two large wooden poles and a few support beams below. Theo let out a gasp whenever he saw the ocean down below. Connor, of course, went ahead and captured some shots of the scenery. A few landscape shot, including one where he spotted another cottage in the distance. It wasn't that far from where they were staying. It was smaller and run-down compare to theirs, but, was decorated with surfboards leaning against the wooden steps right by the house.

"Who lives there?" Connor asked the Bjorgmans, waiting for either one of them to answer.

"A local surfer and a friend of my son," Bulda answered.

"An ex-pro surfer to be correct." Kristoff proudly stated.

"Ex-pro surfer?" Connor quirked an eyebrow.

"She used to compete in a lot of tournaments and traveled almost the entire world. Like she seriously visited every corner of the global. She surfed in Iceland for Pete sake! But, I don't know her story about leaving the pro-surfing life. Maybe cause of what happened to her." Kristoff explained.

"What do you mean?" Connor and Kristoff looked at Theo who suddenly gain some interest in the conversation.

Kristoff simply pointed at his left leg and that clearly ended their talk about the mysterious surfer. Theo was left confused while Conner was filled with curiosity and hungry to learn more about this local surfer.

"Now shall we head back down and see the rest of the house?" Bulda asked the Andersons. Elsa nodded and told her to lead the way. The boys followed their mother downstairs like a pair of ducklings waddling behind their mother during a stroll around a park.

* * *

Everyone headed over to check out the living room, kitchen and family space in one open spacious first floor. But, the boys followed Kristoff and Bulda outside. Elsa decided to sit down on the steps right by the wooden patio that looked over a simple grass lawn with bushes as fences with the ocean right in front of their backyard. Her loose tangled hairlines danced along the sea breeze. She could taste and smell the salty air as she squinting her crystal blue eyes, but, ended up placing her hand over her eyes as shade in order to see her boys.

The sound of their laughters sooth her mind calmly as she began to fall into a daydream state. The roaring waves echoed in the background as her mind dragged her into a scene where she saw her boys now playing in a sandy shore right by the waters. She was sitting happily watching them on a blanket that was laid out on the beach ground - soon to feel the sudden touch of soft angelic hands over her shoulders. The single mother glanced up to spot her late wife smiling down at her.

"Hey there, love." She smiled.

Those three words stuck with Elsa from the days they first started dating and afterward their marriage. Perfect title for a song according to her wife. Even though she wasn't a singer, Elsa had a musical background in her that only a few knew about. You can say she kept a guitar during her college years and wrote some song lyrics during her free time while procrastinating over any research papers or essays.

All in all, Jane was and will forever be her muse. And yet, those elements slowly began to fade away since her death.

Elsa blinked twice after catching sight of Jane. She jolted out of her spot on the sand and quickly embraced her late wife. Her arms held her tightly, not wanting to let her go. Eyes closed shut as if it was the best way to prevent her from waking up.

Jane let out chuckled as she returned the gesture, radiating a touch of genuine warmth. However, things quickly took a turn whenever Elsa began to hear Theo's voices calling out her name in the distance. The blonde slowly unclosed her eyes until they became wide open. Soon to realize Jane's body was slowly turning to white sand. Elsa gasped at the sight, paralyzed to do anything except watch the sand being gracefully carried away by the ocean wind.

The sound of Theo's voice grew louder to the point, Elsa finally realized it was a bad dream and forced herself to wake up. In minutes she jolted up from an upright position to see herself on the floor. A pillow was settled right behind her and noticed two more right by her. She looked around to see she was staying on the second floor in the cottage.

How did I get here? Elsa wondered. The blonde slowly dug deep inside her mind, trying to remember everything before she went into a reverie of made up fantasy she longed for. She remembered still on the patio. Then her mind showed her a glimpse of the Bjorgmans leaving. And then recalled how she felt tired and simply collapsed onto the floor and began to sleep.

"Mommy…"

Elsa glanced over to see Theo smiling down at her while locking his hands tightly together and legs tingle.

"What's wrong?" She asked him.

"I needa go potty and I don't know where the bathroom is." Her son patiently told her.

The single cast a caring smile. She slowly lifted herself up and guided her son downstairs in search of the bathroom. Downstairs the two found Connor strolling around the living room with its wooden slide-in doors still wide open to let the summer breeze waltz in.

"Did you have a nice nap, mom?" The older son asked.

Elsa shrugged her shoulders. "It was alright."

"Don't worry, hopefully, you can catch up on your sleep during our trip. You badly need it." Connor stated frankly.

The blonde simply cast a smile and ruffled his hair. "Thank you for your concern. And I will try."

"Promise?" Connor looked up at her.

"Promise." Elsa placed a hand over her heart.

"How about me? Can you guys promise to help me?!" Connor and Elsa looked over to see Theo somewhat in pain, more like a bit of a drama queen trying to control his bladder. "Where is the bathroom here?"

"Oh is that it?" Connor walked to his little brother and told him to follow him. Elsa followed the two from behind. "Here it is."

The older brother slowly opened another slide-in door to reveal an old traditional Japanese washroom. Elsa was quite impressed at the interior while Theo became frightened at the sight.

The young boy gasped. "That's not a bathroom! Where's the toilet?"

"I believe that's the toilet." Connor pointed at the hole at the corner of the room, a patch of nicely placed tiles surrounded the shape.

"It's a traditional bathroom, sweetie," Elsa explained to Theo.

"I don't want traditional, I need normal!"

"You can pee in the bushes outside if you want." Connor bluntly stated with a grin.

* * *

After getting her youngest son settled down, with of course with some help with her eldest son, the two managed to get little Theo to face his fears and go along with his business in the bathroom for the very first time. Elsa slipped in a funny comment how Connor will be a good father someday after watching him being patient towards his little brother, helping him how to pee, basically. The brunet shook his head and chuckled at his mother's remark.

As the Andersons familiarized themselves around the cottage, the sun was only high above the town, signaling it was only noon. The three were still full from their big brunch at the Pelican's Nest, so they occupied themselves by moving their luggage upstairs. The second floor was completely an empty space with only a small desk and chair with a large wardrobe in the far corner of the room.

"Where are we going to sleep, mommy?" Theo looked up at Elsa for an answer. Kristoff managed to find a few pillows that were stored away in the wardrobe for them to use.

"This cottage has a Japanese architecture style to it," Connor answered.

Elsa nodded. "With a touch of a tropical accent to it. Close to some Filipino interior design and architecture too." The blonde took a moment to study the walls, large wooden floors and the wide windows in the room. "But you know what, we do need some things while staying here. How's driving to town sounds, boys?"

Connor and Theo shouted in agreement causing the mother to smile down at them. This was an adventure, after all, Elsa just had to continue making this trip more fun and memorable for the both of them. When the Andersons were about to head out, they heard someone knocking at the front door. It was only an hour since Kristoff and Bulda left them and they didn't know if they were expecting someone else.

Maybe it's Matter? Elsa wondered. The boys followed Elsa from behind as they watched their mother slowly open the door.

Outside stood a charming brunette with short hair up to her shoulders. She carried a warm smile on her face. It was the first time the Andersons met one of the local kids in Lani. She wore comfortably for starters, with a soft blue tank top with a shooting star graphic and navy blue Bermuda shorts.

"Can we help you?" Elsa asked politely.

"Hi there, my name is Wendy. One of the locals here. And wanted to welcome you to Lani." Wendy smiled.

"We don't live here." Connor bluntly stated, not snapping at her. Elsa blinked twice looked down at him. He looked up and met his mother's gaze. "What, we just came here for vacation, not moving in."

"Oh, I know, it's just how our town's hospitality works. Even if you're visiting here, we still treat you like family." Wendy tried to be clearer with the family. "Bulda sent me over to just check on you guys. Is everything okay?"

When Elsa was about to speak, Theo cut in by walking in front of her and stared at Wendy dead straight in the eye. "Do you know where we can get a toilet?" He sounded absolutely serious.

Connor simply face-palmed himself while turning red in front of Wendy. Elsa tried to stay calm over her youngest son's embarrassing outburst. The mother calmly ruffled Theo's messy blond hair before apologizing to Wendy.

"Oh, it's quite alright, Mrs. Anderson. I know about this place for not looking so modern. Especially the bathroom." Wendy happily chuckled.

"Oh, the Bjorgmans told you about the house?" Elsa questioned her.

Wendy blinked twice and paused for a moment before speaking. "You can say that." She nervously chuckled. "Now, back to my question, is there something you guys need besides a toilet?" The brunette glanced over at Theo and playfully winked at him.

"Is there a store in town that sells camping gear? We might plan to sleep outside at night or use it as our sleeping beds during our stay. I planned on bringing our own before heading here, but, I kind of thought it was no use because we were supposed to stay a nearby bed and breakfast." Elsa explained.

"Ah I see, if you guys need some furnitures, I can call the Bjorgmans to help you with that." Wendy began to reach for her phone from her back pocket.

"Oh, that won't be necessary. Like we said, we're on vacation and we don't need that much during our stay." Elsa laughed nervously.

"You sure? The Bjorgmans don't mind helping out. Count me in and my brothers. We can help you guys settle in nicely." Wendy kindly offered.

Elsa paused for a moment. Either she speaking another language for the kind fourteen year old to understand or the town's people has some level of hospitality which she never experienced before. When she went on explaining their actual plan, Wendy decided to give in their suggestions and decided to tag along to show them where the nearest store to buy the stuff the Andersons needed.

* * *

Driving to town was something new for the boys to see, especially through Theo's eyes. Connor might have some memories of visiting old beach towns whenever he was little, but, he never thought of admiring it as much as his mother. He quickly took a snapshot of Elsa happily grinning, while driving down a street called, Golden Hour Street, the main street of Lani. The young photographer assumed the street gotten its name by having a reputation of being a photo scenic place during the best time of the day. He saw how the road stretched for miles while having the ocean on his right and the local mountains, patches of jungles and rolling fields of green on his left.

Connor shifted his attention at Wendy who happily chatting away with Elsa during their ride to Oaken's. Even though the girl was two years older than him, he felt this sudden knot at the pit of his stomach. Apparently, it wasn't his first rodeo facing this strange feeling, his first time enduring this unusual sensation was during his first grade trip to the zoo. Short story short, it was the sweet popular girl that struck poor Connor's heart after being rescued by her from the classroom bully. Sadly, the love journey for the young photographer ended too soon whenever he found out the girl had to move away because of her father's job.

There was something magical behind Wendy's sapphire eyes that caused Connor to be so attentive with her present. Was it her cheerful smile, her British accent, or how she was close to being a split image of Jane? When that last thought came to mind, the young boy shook his head, put his camera down and gazed at the window the rest of the ride.

Elsa parked the Jeep at the very front of the store. A small size one with only two double doors that were wide open for the town to right away barged in without a thought. The boxed shaped structure had no glass in the windows except window shutters to close during closing hours or during a storm. The senior architecture admired it's strange rustic aesthetic.

"Let's see what they got inside." Elsa felt adventurous for a moment. Theo reached for his mother's hand. "Maybe we might find some treasure inside." She chuckled. Theo joined in the fun as the two strolled inside.

Wendy kindly waited for Connor to jump out of the Jeep while swinging his camera over his neck. The strap rested nicely behind the boy's neck and dangled like a necklace.

"How long have you been doing photography?" Wendy was interested and simply wanted to start a friendly conversation.

Connor blinked twice. No way in the million years would a girl, especially older than him would be interested in talking with him. Before the boy answered, he cleared his throat.

"No longer than two years. I picked it up from my mother." He responded.

"Your mum, Elsa, is a photographer too?" Wendy raised an eyebrow, impressed with how the single mother is a jack of all trades.

Connor laughed. "No, my other mom was a photographer. My mom over there." He pointed at Elsa. "She's an architect."

"Ah, I see if you don't mind me asking. Where is your other mum? Is she on an assignment and stuff?" Wendy waited patiently for Connor's responded. The boy took a long moment to pause causing the young girl to realize she invaded his personal privacy and quickly responded by apologizing.

"No it's okay, it's something my family and I have to get used to after two years." Wendy's sapphire eyes grew wider. She heard Connor let out a sigh before continuing. "My other mother, my actual biological mother isn't around anymore." Wendy heard his voice crack right after he stated, 'anymore.'

"Oh Connor, I don't know what to say, I am sorry for your lost." Wendy reached for his hand, but, Connor was too quick for her and simply placed his hands into his short's pockets.

The brunet shrugged his shoulders and turned to face Wendy. The local saw the tourist staring back at her with a pure set of sapphire eyes, a shade of blue she never saw in her life. She's used to cerulean or sea-green shades of colors compared to the how the ocean looks around the island. But the way Connor was looking back at her brought a wave of curiosity filling up her mind. She assumed the boy was going to say something back, but, in return, he smiled back at her before walking inside the store.

During the Andersons and Wendy's time at Oaken's, the four browsed around and gathered up the things Elsa listed on her shopping list. While the Andersons were a few feet away from her, Wendy reached for her phone and searched for Bulda's number. Down the hall of assorted camping mugs and random nick-nacks, Connor found Wendy on her phone. He noticed the big smile on her face and heard a giggle or two while busy talking to someone on the other end. The young pre-teen assumed it was her boyfriend who suddenly called her during this time of the day.

The young city photographer let out a disappointed sigh and regrouped with his family. Elsa and Theo were debating whether they get the big portable gas stove or the small one. Connor simply rolled his eyes and quietly wished his late mother was around to help him get through this unscripted two-week vacation. Since he was little, she always knew what to do whenever he felt isolated from others. Nowadays, he's off on his own in this great big world.

* * *

The rented Jeep slowly came to stop in the driveway whenever the four arrived back at the cottage. Elsa turned off the engine before walking to back to pick up the items they purchased. When the boys got off from the vehicle, Wendy poked Connor on the shoulders to gain his attention. Theo noticed his older brother wasn't following him whenever he turned around to see him talking to Wendy.

"Hey do guys wanna hang out with my brothers and I down by the shore?" She smiled at them.

Connor was too slow to respond whenever Theo beat him to return an excited answer with his hands waving in the air. The brunette chuckled and asked Connor if he agreed with his little brother. The older brother lifted his index finger, telling her to hold on a second, and began to walk around the Wrangler to find Elsa putting down two heavy tote bags on the ground.

"Mama, is it okay to hang out with Wendy down by the shore? Theo wants to too and I don't mind babysitting him." He kindly asked with a reassuring offering.

Even though there's a sense of tension between the two, especially coming from Connor's side, he managed to keep his promise to Jane to try his best to keep his family together as much as Elsa was trying ever since her passing.

"Of course and I don't mind joining with you guys. Let me just go store these stuff inside first…"

When Connor was about to reply back, the soundscape around the front yard quickly faded into the background whenever Elsa's phone went off. The single mother saw the four infamous letters glowing on her home screen.

Connor raised an eyebrow. "Work?"

Elsa nodded without lying but, cast a set of sincere eyes back at her son.

The young boy tried his best to be collective and control his composure before responding. He tucked away the fist that was slowly forming behind his back. He tried to not form a frown by slightly biting his lip before letting out a sigh. "We'll just go without you then?"

Theo stepped into the conversation by protesting to just give Elsa minute to answer the call which the woman quickly already did. She was quickly distracted by the phone call like how she magically, faded her family into the background. The woman took one of the bags before walking into the cottage. Connor saw her forgetting to close the door behind her, which was a surprise to see because Elsa usually closed the door behind her whenever she gets a call from her job.

"We can reschedule for another time if your mum doesn't want you guys to hang out," Wendy saw the sudden tension between the brothers. The silence between the boys was something she was used to. Unlike her family, she grew up with friends with different families compare to her's.

"No, we can go without her. You only invited me and my brother anyway." Connor reminded her. Wendy's eyes widen before returning a nod. "We're used to this. It's gonna take hours for our mom to get off the phone. Just let me drop this other bag inside and we can head out."

Wendy and Theo waited for Connor outside while they watched him run inside at the same time struggling to carry the hefty tote bag with his noodle arms. Inside, the eldest son saw his mother sitting alone on the backyard patio. Her back leaning against one of the wooden poles. Her left hand still holding up her phone to her ear while her right was softly combing back her hair. A familiar scene in which Connor grew to get used to and learned to live with.

He settled the items inside the kitchen. Before leaving, he made another glance at his mother. At the back of his mind, he never wanted to see her like this if he's still walking on this planet. He made a promise for his other mother. It wasn't to only protect his own family, but, to help his family find their own happiness while they're still living.

* * *

Wendy led the boys down a sandy beach after strolling down a quiet country road and climbing down a grassy hillside not far from the cottage. She pointed out how her house was just west of town and had a stunning view of the ocean looking north. But she concluded it wasn't close enough to the view they were witnessing from where they stood. It was already around passed four in the afternoon and the sun was still shining brightly.

"So were you born here?" Connor wanted to start another friendly conversation with her. He never understood why, but he assumed Wendy had this aura that made her an easygoing person to talk to.

"My mum and dad moved from London years ago. They had me a year after they settled here. So yeah I guess my brothers and I grew up here for our entire lives. But if you're curious about the accent? That's from traveling to London every summer." Wendy explained.

"Guess you're heading over there this summer, am I right?"

Wendy nodded. "But not right away." She smiled at Connor causing the boy to blush a little. "I still have some things to do here before I go."

When Connor was about to speak, the sounds of two rowdy boys were calling out Wendy's name right by the water. Two other brunets came rushing over with giant smiles on their faces. Each of them definitely had at least one similar feature like Wendy to tell they were related.

"Hey, there you two! Made new friends today, care to meet them?" Wendy asked the other boys. The two nodded. "George, Michael, meet the Anderson brothers, Connor and Theodore…"

"You can call me Theo! That's what everyone calls me."

George and Michael looked over their shoulders to see a six-year-old blond holding up a handful of seashells with a jolly smile on his face.

"It's nice to meet you both. Did you guys just moved to town or on vacation?" George asked kindly while fixing his black thick owl glasses.

"Hope so, we like to have new people move into town. We need some new neighbors. Mr. Hook from our street is boring and mean. Always smells fishy…"

"Michael! That is rude. Mr. Hook is a navy veteran show some respect to the man. And no, Connor and Theo are here for vacation with their mum." Wendy explained while shaking her head at Michael.

"Then why is he always grumpy looking all the time and short tempered?" George added while wiping off a spec of sand covering one of his glasses lenses.

Wendy let out a sigh. "Mr. Hook is just a tired lonely man. The Service absolutely tired him out."

The Anderson brothers stood away from the Darlings as they continued their bickering. But Theo walked over and softly poked her on the arm. Wendy looked down to see the boy smiling up at her, trying to remind her of why she invited the boys in the first place.

"Look, let's stop this. I brought along Connor and Theo to check out our spot. You two wanna help me give our new friends a fun time here or what?" The eldest Darling asked.

George and Michael both exchanged looks at each other. Michael was the first one to crack a smile and nodded his head at his sister. As for George, he fixed his glasses, more like began toying with it while explaining he's busy with school work. Wendy shook her head and told him to lay off the summer work because they're on summer vacation and he shouldn't be burning himself out. Eventually, the young BOY gave in and decided to join in the fun.

The kids decided to hang out right by the ocean nearby a patch of sand and smooth rocks. George and Michael showed Theo some little puddles that housed a few sea creatures bathing in the rocks' makeshift pools. The little blond spotted a couple of sea crabs sleeping while the rest of the pools were empty and green algae were covering the surface.

Connor and Wendy stood by the rocks, continuing their little conversation while babysitting their brothers from a distance.

"So what made you pick up photography?" Wendy politely asked Connor, seeing him quietly at work - capturing a few shots of the boys playing.

"I used to play with the family camcorder when I was Theo's age and my other mom introduced me to old instant or Polaroid cameras. Everything was just for fun until her passing. Since then I slowly became serious with photography." Connor bravely explained.

"Are you doing it because you love it or is it something else?"

"Both I guess. I only picked it up again because I needed something to distract me. And this camera used to be my Mum's. So this little guy is a token of remembrance of her pretty much. So…"

"So she's always there with you wherever you go." Wendy happily finished his sentence causing the boy to return a genuine smile.

"How about your other mum? How's living with an architect as a parent?"

Just as Connor was about to answer, the two older kids looked up from the sound of Michael shouting from the distance.

"What's going on over there?" Wendy asked.

Connor didn't answer, in seconds the boy dashed down the path of flattening rocks. Jumping over small cracks and spaces between the landscape while continue to rush over to where the Darling brothers stood. When he arrived, one boy was missing.

"Where is Theo?"

Michael and George saw the sudden change of emotions in Connor's eyes. For a quiet boy he can look a bit intimidating with his sapphire eyes inflamed with weariness and anger at the same time.

"We told him not to get too close water because the waves were coming too strong that they'll pull you in. And…"

"Here hold this." Connor handed his camera to George before removing his shoes. In seconds the older brother quickly climbed down the rocks and jumped into the water.

From behind Wendy finally caught up to her brothers and asked what happened to the Anderson brothers. George filled her with what just happened and all Wendy can do was to grab her phone and call someone for help.

"Who are you calling?" Michael asked.

"Either Kristoff, Nani or David. They should be around." Wendy answered.

In the waters, Connor managed to swim up the surface in search of Theo even though the waves were rolling in faster since jumping in. He shouted for his name a few times but no answer in return. A sudden knot of weariness began to form inside his stomach. While growing up, he was the stronger swimmer than his little brother, a reason why Connor is determined to find him. He doesn't want to lose another loved one in his life right now while still recovering from another one.

Just from a mile away from the shore, Connor saw a small head pop out the water. In the distance, he saw Theo swimming out of the surface, gasping for air. Without hesitation, the older boy swam towards him.

"Theo I'm here!" Connor reached for his brother's hand. Theo managed to grab his hand and he was quickly pulled into his brother's embrace. "It's okay I'm here."

The two brothers embraced each other, tightly holding onto each, worried they might be separated by the ocean waves. While catching their breaths, Connor told Theo to swim behind him and wrap his arms over his neck.

"You're okay over there?" Connor looked over his shoulders to see Theo nodding his head. With that answer, the older brother went back to swimming while piggybacking his little brother back to shore.

In the distance, a lone surfer just finished a relaxing set. Her surfboard came to a graceful stop in the middle of the sea. She slowly sat down on her board while maintaining her balance. Soon with her sharp teal blue eyes, she noticed two boys swimming slowly back to shore while a big wave was forming behind them. While wiping away the sea water and sweat from her face and then placed her head above her eyes. Her teal blue eyes narrowed down at the boys in the distance and soon noticed the familiar brown and blond hair tops. In seconds she knew the identities of the boys as she quickly started to paddle her way towards them.

Connor was still swimming strongly back to shore where he saw Wendy waiting for him with her brothers right by her side. He couldn't make out what her expression on her face was until she began to call out his name.

Theo was slowly fell asleep during the ride, which left Connor on his own to bring them back to safety. The shouting grew louder as he gotten closer but in minutes the wave that was hiding behind him quickly pulled him back. Connor looked over his shoulder only to see a wall of blue. High above his head was another wave ready to swallow him whole or pushed him down to the shallow deep of the ocean. Fear quickly filled up the boy's mind whenever he was quickly pulled down into the water and only saw the sun's rays in the box of blue while feeling his brother's grip losing. Everything happened in seconds to the point Connor lost sight and became unconscious.

Connor was woken up by the sound of a familiar voice echoing in his mind. His sapphire eyes gradually opened to see his late mother happily smiling down at him with her hand reaching for his. But the voice calling out his name wasn't his mother's. He felt a sudden push on his chest like someone was pressing on his body. The pressure was strong to the point it caused him to wake up from his unexpected trip.

The boy was woken up by the sight of his brother and his new friends looking all worried down on him. He coughed out the remaining ocean water from inside his lungs and inhaled a large amount of air back inside his system.

"He should be okay. Make sure to shake your head a bit kid, you might still have sea water in there."

Connor slowly set himself up to find a redhead in surfing gear standing in front of him with her arms crossed over her chest. Beside her stern facial expression on her freckled face and messy hair bun, the woman's leg caught his eye. Unlike her other leg which was similar like his, all flesh and bones, her left leg was crafted with the strongest metal and high tech material.

He was contemplating whether he was still in a dream. But he wasn't because everything felt familiar from the moments before being swept away from his dear life.

"C'mon it's getting late, you guys can hitch a ride in my truck. Wendy give me a hand with your friends, they can sit in the front. I got a spare towel for the boy." The surfer noticed the sun hovering over the horizon with the sky still covered in blue

Connor looked at Theo that was happily smiling down him even though he saw him chattering his teeth while wrapping himself up with a beach towel, assuming it belonged to the serious surfer. Wendy reached over and landed a hand, the brunet took hold of her's and helped himself up. The kids began to make their way out of the shore and followed the surfer up the trail to where she parked her truck.

The young photographer realized he wasn't carrying his mother's camera until he felt a soft tap on the shoulder. He looked at his side to see George carefully carry it around his neck with both hands holding onto it as if it was the most fragile thing in the world.

"Don't worry, I kept it all safe and sound." George returned a smile, hoping it made Connor felt relieved and relax.

Connor nodded. "Thank you." He responded softly.

"Anytime dude, we're always here for ya."

The younger boy took the older boy's words into account and yet felt weird about his statement. Even though they just met, the Darlings already counted them as if they've lived in Lani for so long, as if they were already long time good friends.

* * *

After everyone was safely inside the surfer's truck, the Anderson brothers were given the front seats where the woman sat in the driver seat. As for the Darling siblings, they happily sat in the truck's trunk. Connor looked over his shoulder and found them feeling all relaxed like it wasn't their first time. This isn't like back in the suburbs or city, on the island, the kids had more freedom than he realized.

"Wendy, do you know where these boys live?" The surfer asked before turning on her truck.

The young girl had to move the surfer's board for a second in order to crawl up to the truck's back window. The wind coming in from the ocean was a bit too loud for her to shout from the back.

"They live nearby Hook's place and your place too. Kinda up the road." She explained in short details.

"They're staying at Grandpabbie's old place?" The surfer raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, Connor and Theo's mum's name is Elsa and she should be there when we get there," Wendy informed her older friend.

The surfer paused for a moment. Hearing that familiar name felt like seeing that ghost from her past from the restaurant. But, she bit her lip before nodding her head. She told the Darlings to hold on tight from the back and they were off.

The ride back to the cottage was a quiet one, the Darlings broke into a conversation from the back while the redhead surfer noticed the boys in the front were silent the whole time. She sometimes took a quick glance at the Anderson brothers, curiously trying to pinpoint which features of their faces or personalities matched their mother's. But, she couldn't really see much of their mother's, which slowly puzzled her. She noticed the youngest one had the closest shade of blonde hair like Elsa's, but, the boy's hair was dirty blonde and not platinum blonde. They both carried blue eyes, but, not close to their mother's crystal blue shade which she recalled.

They're maybe a split image of their other parent, the surfer quietly pondered.

After the short drive from the shore and into a quiet country road, the truck turned into the dirt driveway and parked behind the rundown Jeep. Everyone jumped out of the truck and stood on the driveway.

"Hey Anna, let me go get the brothers' mum." Wendy offered.

Anna caringly carried Theo out of the truck where the six years older wasn't shy to wrap his arm around the surfer's neck. His embrace was something new to her, but, it felt like something she hasn't felt in years. The young blond was completely hugging Anna and the woman soon to notice that gleaming charming smile on his face.

"Thank you for rescuing us Anna." Theo thanked her.

The redhead's teal eyes met his hopeful looking sapphire eyes. "No worries little dude." She responded after gently settling him down on the ground. "Now c'mon let's go find your mom, you two will have one hell of a talk with her I bet."

Connor looked over his shoulders to see Anna walking beside his little brother as if Theo recognized her as another motherly figure. He raised an eyebrow over the sight. But, the young photographer was surprised to realize the mysterious surfer Kristoff mentioned today was right here in front of him.

When the three were walking down the driveway and right up to the front porch the front door quickly swung open wide.

"Where have you two been?!"

Connor swallowed his split, a heavy gesture where sweat was starting to rain down this neck. Anna's teal eyes widen while feeling her heart skipped a beat. Theo was the only one that didn't resist to run after his mother and give her one of his big warm hugs.

"Connor and I were playing by the shore! And mommy, this big wave came in…"

"Big wave? Shore? Did I give you two permission to?" Elsa looked down at her youngest son before looking at her eldest.

"Don't worry, the big mean wave didn't take us. While kinda did, but, Anna saved us! She cool, mommy, and she surfs!" Theo turned around and pointed at Anna who was acting very embarrassed and awkward at the same time, hid away a face that looked like she has eaten a bad bag of day-old fried Oreos; not walking to vomit in front of an old friend and her kids.

Elsa shifted her focus at Anna. The blonde stood up and walked over to the other woman. The boys watched their mother as she approached Anna with grace between her steps. Connor looked at her eyes and there wasn't any sense of fear, maybe a sense of familiarity casting from her crystal blues. As for the redhead, the young photographer saw the same facial expression as his mother's and yet there was a hint of nervousness coming from her teal blue eyes and slightly biting her lips.

Do they know each other? Connor wondered.

"Thank you so much for your help." Elsa stopped walking whenever she was a few inches away from Anna. The blonde looked regal from the outside, but, inside her emotions were erupting like a volcano. Her mind was buzzing with what to say, how to act, and questioning why her family vacation changed from something being wholesome to an emotional roller coaster ride of her past suddenly haunting her. The single mother wanted to pull her hair right now, but, kept her aloof composure.

Anna nodded. "No trouble at all. They were good kids while driving up here." She rubbed her neck while letting out a chuckle or two.

When Elsa was about to reply back, the Darling siblings came rushing over to where the four was standing. Wendy stopped where Anna stood and began apologizing to Elsa for all she has done this afternoon. But the blonde returned a smile at the young girl and patted her shoulder.

"It's alright, as long they came home safely that's all it matters." Elsa explained.

"Oh, you might want this back." George walked up to Connor and returned Jane's camera. Connor nodded and thanked him in return.

"Hey, maybe you guys should join us for dinner!" Michael but into the conversation.

"Dinner where?" Theo asked him.

"Right! The Pelican's Nest is having a little dinner special happening tonight." Wendy explained.

"Don't worry, Anna won't be cooking tonight that's for sure, is that right?" Wendy gave George a nudge on the side causing the boy to flinch a bit.

Anna rolled her eyes and let out a disgusted noised. "Yeah, I won't be working tonight, but, that was only a one-time mistake, kid."

"What happened?" Connor asked the Darlings.

"Maybe join us for dinner and we'll tell you." Wendy smiled at him causing the boy to blush.

Elsa soon noticed her boys looking up at her for her approval. The woman bit her lip but soon returned the gesture by shaking her head no and simply thank them both.

"We might sit this one out tonight, it's been a long day and we might turn in early. C'mon you two, you guys go on and clean up. I'll have dinner ready in a second." Elsa explained to the boys. As much as the brothers wanted to join their new friends, they ended up obeying their mother's orders and went back to the cottage. But, before they went off, they said goodbye to the Darlings and thank Anna for everything.

The four waved goodbye to the brothers as they began walking away. As for Elsa, the woman thanked Anna once again, this time including the redhead's name. The sound of her voice calling out her name quickly took her back into a trip down memory lane.

Anna remembered the days how Elsa used to call out her names from their days under the sun - riding their surfboards on a great swell, floating together endlessly over cerulean blue waves, and late nights underneath stars while sitting on top of her childhood house, just laying there right by her old friend's side.

But, those memories quickly fade away like a wave crushing at a sand castle whenever Anna felt someone tugging a piece of her jacket. Soon to realized it was Wendy trying to guide her back home from her sudden moment.

"Anna, Elsa was just thanking you for what done for the boys," Wendy explained to her.

Anna blinked twice. "Oh right, like I said, it wasn't any trouble at all. Kids will always be kids I guess." She chuckled nervously again.

Elsa joined in the little laugh before walking back inside the cottage after telling the four to have a good evening. When the woman disappeared inside, Anna told the Darlings she can give them a ride back home.

While George and Michael raced back to the truck, hopping back into the back without a hassle, Wendy just couldn't help but ask the redhead a few questions, but, one stuck out the most for her to blab out without hesitation.

"What was that all about? Are you into her or something?" Wendy cast a smile which the redhead noticed whenever she looked down at her young friend.

"Nothing, it's been a while since we saw visitors here that's all." Anna lied between her teeth and played it cool.

"Sure." Wendy rolled her eyes. "Maybe it's been a while since you saw a pretty face." She couldn't help it but let out a chuckle.

The redhead ignored her and jumped into her truck. Whenever everyone was all settled down inside, she took one more glance at the cottage, she spotted the light coming in from the kitchen area inside. The woman let out a sigh before turning on the engine and drove away down the quiet country road on an early pleasant summer evening.

Everything completely became silent inside Anna's head, the Darlings voice faded into the background and all she can hear was the roaring waves in the distance. But what kept her mind awake was the surreal feeling of knowing how a ghost from her past has completely returned to her for all these years.

* * *

 **A/N: Many thank again for the new followers/favorites/reviews/views in this story, totally helps me keep on writing and sharing! Sorry for this very long chapter this weekend! Hopefully, it's worth it. Also, a little heads up I won't be uploading chapters next weekend because I'm still working on the next 5 chapters. My method is to have at least 5 chapters ready before uploading another set. Thank you in advance for your patience! Lastly below are some answers to recent questions I've gotten about this story:**

 **Q:** How did you come up with the Elsa and Jane pairing?

 **A:** There's a little community in Tumblr that follows the shipping called "Janelsa." I've written a few shots of the couple in my AO3 (Archive of Our Own). The link is in my profile.

 **I'm always opened for any Q &A sessions about this story or writing in general. Might be opened up on my Tumblr page sometime. My Tumblr Link is also in my profile**


	6. Chapter 6 - Kids From Hesson Shields

**WARNING: Some strong use of profanity - Rated M**

* * *

She'll never know how she became an early bird.

Elsa might blame her little brother, Jakob, waking her up early in the morning whenever he was a baby. Or maybe it was her mother, who always asked her if she wanted to tag along during her morning check-ups by the old marina. A place where Elsa used to visit as a kid. Either way, the blonde was thankful for her helpful habit. Without it, she wouldn't have endured her morning classes in college, early hours at work, or keeping up with Jane's crazy shooting schedules.

When she turned to her side to see through the glass on the slide-in door, her crystal blue eyes were fixed at the gradient shade of blue painting in the early morning sky. Even though she wasn't up or her senses wasn't fully working at that hour, her hearing was alert to hear the faint singing of coastal birds chirping in the background. She gradually pulled herself right up from sleeping peacefully on the cottage floor. The boys were still sleeping right by her side like little caterpillars nestled inside their cocoons with their new sleeping bags from Oaken's. Without making a noise, the mother swiftly got up from the floor, picked up something resting on the floor beside her, tiptoed down the flight of steps and walked over to the small kitchen.

"Now where did I put those camping mugs?" Elsa crouched down to find a brown paper bag with the Oaken's store logo printed on it. Just hand-carved font saying "Wandering Oaken's Trading Post." She placed the bag on the kitchen counter and pulled out three mugs, each depicting the Andersons' favorite colors: Elsa's was light blue, Connor's was pine green, and Theo's was cool gray with a bear drawing. Of course, the little one had to pick out a mug with at least an animal printed on it.

The next thing Elsa looked for was the small kettle she picked out and poured some water coming from the kitchen faucet before placing it over the gas stove.

Very old school, she commented while lighting up a match before placing over the burner grate to turn it on.

She waited for the kettle to whistle like a locomotive train by opening up the nearby slide-in doors from the open living room that led up to the backyard and wooden patio. The lonely blonde sat down on the floor and turned her back to lean against one of the cottage's supporting pillars while gazing up at the sky and listening to the ocean singing 'good morning' to her.

"Let's see what you wrote about this place, love" Elsa dug inside one of her short's pockets to take out one of Jane's journals. Compare to her other journals, Jane wrote about Lani in a small teal leather pocketbook with a small seashell on the heart of the front cover. Her gentle hands flipped through the pages until she found a particular entry where Jane described the sunrises on the island. The architect read through the pages and came to a sudden stop because her mind can't stop thinking about yesterday.

For all these years, she's been _here_ all this time. Elsa bites her lips.

Just as her mind decided to go on a trip down memory lane, the sound of the kettle crying from the kitchen gained the blonde's attention. Elsa got up from her spot and helped herself to a cup of tea before returning back to the patio. After taking a sip, she stared down at Jane's journal where she left it sunbathing underneath the morning sun. Even though Elsa knew she needed to do some reading in order to learn about the island, her restless mind was toying with her that very second. Her crystal blue eyes were fixed at the ocean view and the roaring waves in the distance.

That's a beautiful set, she commented while inhaling the salty air. She let the salt water breeze tickle her skin before giving in and letting her mind drift away like seaweeds on the water - sailing endlessly into the unknown.

* * *

The wheels of a bike were speeding down a snaked like road in a hillside neighborhood. A blonde rider looked over her shoulders and let out a disgusted grunt. With her surfboard strapped behind her makeshift contraption - a metal rack attached to her bike's carrier frame to hold up the board from behind. She put in an extra energy in order to increase her speed and decrease her distance from the luxurious midnight black painted Bentley. With the car right behind her tail, the blonde of twelve slowly came to a full stop whenever she caught sight of the shoreline and a family of surfers was still outside catching some waves before the day was over.

"Miss Elsa!"

Elsa ignored the husky man with a bald spot over his ginger hair coming out of the car. Even though, the young blonde had many respects for the man, she wasn't in the mood to deal with any adults at that hour. All she wanted was to be in the water.

"Kai, I'll be alright. Let me just go out there and have some fun. I'll promise to read an extra chapter of 'War and Peace' tonight. Scouts honor!"

Just as Kai locked the Bently and rushed over to Elsa, the wannabe surfer was back on the move. And this time, her main target was some sweet swells forming off the coast. Without turning back, her fair skin dashed down a pathway of footprints plastered across the sand. Along the way, her feet felt weak on the beach floor, one foot after the other, the soft sand caused her to sink in. But, Elsa managed and carried herself throughout the trip. Being a bit breathless, she paused at the edge where the land touched the water. The ocean breeze greeted her with a playful touch caressing her porcelain face and letting her loose hair strains dance freely.

"Here goes!" With a deep breathe, she tightly carried her board and dashed into the sea.

But, she hesitated. Her eyes were glued down at the water touching her toes as she questioned if it was worth it out there - The Great Unknown. It was just a grand blanket of blue without nothing else.

No, she held her board tightly and pressed on forward. She carried herself through the water like a puppy learning to swim for the very first time. Elsa was a strong swimmer but she wasn't used to having something to carry while being on the water. The little surfer watched the experienced surfers hop onto their boards with ease. She continued to study them on how they patiently wait for the right wave and how to paddle out into the horizon to catch a nice swell.

"That doesn't look hard," She blindly assumed.

Whenever her feet no longer could feel the sandy floor of the ocean, she tried to get on her board without flopping over it. Her noodle arms pushed herself up on the polystyrene foam, trying to control her balance even though she saw the surfboard starting to shimmy from side to side on water.

"C'mon, you got this Els, just let go of all your fears and just be free," She told herself. Just as she found her center, her board stopped wombling for a moment, which caused her to shine a smile that stretch from ear to ear soon disappeared whenever she let out 'crap!' just as her board fell over.

In the distance, another younger surfer with cute little twin braid pigtails couldn't help it but let out a chuck or two while casting a smile over her face after seeing Elsa. She was at least a couple of years younger than the blonde and yet, has been riding waves since she was eight. The young girl with strawberry blonde hair was the adopted daughter of one of the best local surfers in town. And she proudly honored and carried the family tradition to know and love the life of surfing. The redhead saw the blonde plopped up from the water and swam back to her board, not pushing herself up on it this time, but, resting her arms on the edge, using it as a baby paddleboard for beginner swimmers. Whenever the experienced young surfer saw the newbie doing nothing, she laid down on her board and began to paddle towards Elsa.

"Hey, you were far off your board there," Elsa looked over to her side to see the smiling redhead. The shy blonde looked away and pretended to be watching the other surfers over the horizon while the redhead rubbed the back of her neck. After a brief moment, Elsa glanced over to see if the redhead wasn't longer staring back at her. At the corner of her eyes, she met the other girl's playful teal-blue eyes. Soon Elsa's face became red for a second and simply bit her lip. The timid newbie pushed her embarrassment aside and decided to give it another try for getting on her board.

The redhead patiently watched the blonde struggle again getting on her board, she noticed how the blonde's arms were shaking every time she tried lifting herself up, pushing her upper body and moving the rest of her body to settle over the board.

"Try moving up a bit or else you'll…" Just as the redhead was giving her a quick pointer, the message didn't quickly get across Elsa's mind in time which led the blonde to topple over her board. Again. The flop wasn't a violent one that could have brought some harm or injuries to Elsa instead was a playful fall into the water. The redhead couldn't help it but let out a laugh.

In the waters, Elsa just saw the afternoon sun shining on top of the surface where little crystals of light were swimming in the ocean depth. Above her was her board still floating while she caught sight of the redhead's surfer. The redhead's feet dangling in the water while still sitting on her board.

What is her deal? Elsa wondered while swimming back up to the surface. The blonde let out a big gasp whenever she popped up her head from the water and swam back to her board.

"C'mon try again, get back on that board," Elsa saw the redhead's genuine smile stretching from ear to ear. In return, the blonde just rolled her eyes. "Now why are you looking at me like that?" The redhead grinned while raising one eyebrow. "You don't have to look at me like that."

"Is there a reason why you're bothering me?" Elsa hissed, but, the redhead didn't find it offensive.

"Whoa she speaks!" The redhead's teal-blue eyes widen while letting out a chuckle. "Look I am not here to cause any trouble, just wanna help ya, that's all." She smiled back at Elsa.

"Well, I didn't ask for _your_ help," Elsa bluntly responded while looking away.

The redhead's smile shifted to a frown. "Suit yourself, but, for your information, Surfing isn't a solo sport. You need a team or community to help and teach you the lifestyle. Kinda like needing a family."

When the redhead finished talking, Elsa lifted her head to spot the young surfer turning her board around. The blonde quickly assumed she was pushing the other girl away. "Hey wait!"

The redhead looked over her shoulder. "Yeah?"

"Okay fine. How do you get on this thing without falling off like an idiot?" Elsa asked embarrassingly. A line of soft red painted across the blonde's fair skin face.

The redhead swiftly turned her board around and shoot Elsa a crooked smile while having her arms crossed. "Well, you already have step one down."

"And that would be?" Elsa raised an eyebrow.

"Practice falling off your board like an idiot." The redhead grinned, showing off her pearly white teeth.

Elsa cast a smile while shaking her head. The redhead caught a glance of Elsa's angelic smile for the very first time and somehow quickly felt this strange feeling that shot up from the very depths of her young heart. In return, the redhead let out a laugh where Elsa later joined in the fun.

"By the way, I'm Anna, what's your name?" Anna moved up a bit while extending her hand for Elsa to reach for.

"Elsa." The blonde reached for Anna's hand and gave it a shake like they were out in the waters for a casual business meeting.

Anna laughed. "That wasn't for a handshake. I was lending a hand for you to hold on to while you try to settle on top of your board."

Elsa blushed. "Oh."

The blonde held onto Anna's hand while using her other hand to push herself up and swing over her leg to settle nicely onto her board. Like what Anna suggested before, she found the spot on her board where the floating fiber safely balanced on the water. In seconds the blonde managed to calmly settle in, her board playfully rocking side to side without making her fall over.

"You can let go of my hand now you know," Anna saw the blonde getting redder by the moment. The blonde quickly let go of her hand and planted back down on her board. "Now what do you say I give ya little pointers on surfing, how does that sound?" Elsa nodded. Anna returned with her classic genuine smile where her eyes were gleaming with joy.

Elsa met Anna's eyes, those shade of teal definitely captured her attention and piece of her heart. Even though she was a bit confused at the sudden burst of emotions, she knew her heart and soul couldn't stop staring at Anna and at the back of mind, that redhead's smile was intoxicating, in a good way, which she'll never stop admiring.

* * *

A group of seagulls flew over the cottage like a cheerful choir during a mass sermon. Elsa poked her head out to look up at the morning cloudless sky and cast a smile whenever she spotted one little fellow perched on the roof looking down at her. The lonely blonde picked up her cup of tea and tried to enjoy her quiet time before another busy day exploring the island and Lani.

Down the road, another early bird swung her backyard door wide opened. Anna had to grab her trusty rock, the size of an average coconut as her very own door stopper. When she nicely placed the rock right by the edge of the door she went back inside her cottage to grab the surfboard she was fixing up a couple days ago. Besides leaving it outside, making leaning against the wall with her other boards to melt off the board wax underneath the hot sun, and of course, giving it a little bath from the water hose, she ended up making sure this particular board didn't get any more dents or cracks on its body.

This board was like a trophy to her, more like a family heirloom to make it sound like a treasure to the redhead than what others wouldn't assume. Even though Anna was roughly passed five feet, the length of her board was close to six feet long for a slender surfer like herself. Unlike her late adoptive father's line of boards, this board was actually his childhood board before heading it over to Anna.

The surfing community called it a shortboard, roughly six feet (two meters) long and was the perfect size for Anna's current height. Like her father, as he grew older he switched out to either a funboard or longboard for his body size. Whenever Anna was still a tadpole in the world of surfing, the old man let her ride on a fishboard, just under five feet (one and one-half meters) long.

Despite the number of sponsor stickers on her other boards, this particular board wasn't used in any of her old touring days. Though she brought it around during some of her travels, the only time she used it was during her private sessions away from the spotlight. She usually searched for an isolated beach and simply surf until the sun goes down. Her father's board was painted snow white and a thick teal outline at the edge. It was a simple layout with only a navy blue tribal design of a rising sun. It's rays branching out while the tips curled up like vines. What only reminds on the boards were the years of shredding hard on it, small scratches and dents of usage.

Nowadays she usually uses it, unlike her other collections of boards. The redhead looked over her shoulder and let out a sigh whenever she saw them. Even though she's the only one using them, she felt like others should use them too. Like a family or a group of good friends sharing some love to those boards; which they've been wanting for months.

Before heading out, Anna paused for a moment on her beach home's flight of wooden steps that led to the shoreline, the sight of the sun rising just took her back to those mornings whenever she used to hear rocks hitting against her bedroom window.

* * *

A teenage Anna was still stuck in dreamland until she heard the sudden noise of small pebbles hitting against her bedroom window. There wasn't any rain storm happening in the forecast during the week and there wasn't any chance of hail pouring down from the heavens. If a cold front or a patch of cold weather ever hit Hesson Shields it would be five years later - right after a major hurricane that struck through the beach town. The redhead slightly opened one eye and stared at her window right by her bedside. All she saw was a glimpse of a gorgeous sunrise. Ribbons of peach, sunburst yellow and red-orange painted across the soft blue sky. Then a minute later she noticed a fast pebble smacking against the glass.

"Okay that's it," Anna grunted out of bed and marched up to her window. She wasn't furious this early in the morning but, a bit annoyed to the point she decided to yell at the idiot volunteering to be her alarm clock on a school day.

"Hey asshole! People are trying to sleep here…" Just as Anna was about to continue, the redhead looked down below and blinked twice for a moment. "Elsa is that you?"

"Good morning to you too, Coconut Head," Elsa let out a giggle.

Anna let out an annoyed grunt. "Dude, are you crazy? It's four in the morning. And it's a school day for fuck sake."

Elsa shook her head. "Whoa Major Pouty Mouth in the morning are we? Plus it's six-thirty for your information." Anna wrinkled her nose and narrowed her eyes at her best friend. Then mimicked what Elsa recently stated with an annoyed and obnoxious voice. "Hey, c'mon don't you wanna catch a session before school?" The blonde kindly asked her.

The redhead surfer extended her head out of the window and looked towards the direction where she saw the ocean right down her street. Anna's house was a few streets away from the nearest shoreline and whenever she wanted to go surfing, all she had to do was poke her head out and study how the swells were that day.

"Looks pretty weak, bruh. Maybe we can try after school." Anna suggested.

"Aww why not now? You know the shore will be packed by the time we get out of school. Plus it's a Friday, locals, and tourists will be there. Can we just go now, pretty please?"

Anna quickly turned away whenever she heard Elsa's voice pitch increased a bit higher than usual. Whenever the blonde says, 'Pretty Please,' Anna shouldn't look at her friend dead straight in the eye because Elsa tends to have a set of sad puppy eyes laminated all over her face. Add in a pouty lips actions and the redhead lost it. Those crystal blue eyes and soft lips of Elsa's are the young surfer's secret kryptonite.

After a second, Anna slightly moved her eyes and was right away reeled in by Elsa's puppy pouting face. "Damnit, Elsa!" She let out a sigh in which Elsa assumed Anna would say, 'Yes,' but, the blonde shouldn't have held her breathe. "Go home and get some sleep. I'll see you at school."

Elsa blinked twice. "Wait, what? Anna what the hell!" The blonde saw Anna walking away from her window and disappeared back inside. She narrowed her brows and let out an annoyed huff. The sassy surfer picked up her feet and walked towards Anna's garage. Surprisingly Elsa was agile like a street cat and had the arms of an experienced rock climber, maybe it was from all those days climbing trees with Anna taught her how to climb rooftops and jump over fences. The blonde gently found her footing whenever she placed one of her foot on one of the holes of Anna's mother's wall-mounted trellis. She carefully combed away any vine or leaves in her way as she climbed up the wooden structure like one of Spiderman's crazy kids. Whenever she reached to the top of the garage, she swiftly dashed across the rooftop and carefully cat walked by the ledge that gave her access to Anna's opened bedroom window.

Elsa used one of her hand to reach for the edge of Anna's window sill and used the other to balance. With her back facing the street, the blonde used her upper body strength to lift herself up like a gymnastic training on uneven bars. Whenever she saw the inside of Anna's room, she swung one of her legs over like trying to settle onto a horse and then shift her body in order to lift her other leg over until her entire body was safely inside.

This wasn't the first time Elsa has snuck into Anna's bedroom like a crazy-badass ninja. The first time was a doozy for the blonde, but, with a lot of practice and stubbornness, she managed to master the art of sneaking into homes without a complaint from Anna's parents or noisy neighbors. But, it's a whole other story for Anna. Soon the blonde tiptoed quietly down the wooden floorboards until she was standing at the side edge of Anna's bed. The redhead had her back turned away from her and was back sound to sleep. Elsa gave her a little poke on the shoulder but it was no use, the redhead was in dreamland.

Elsa wrinkled up her nose, annoyed for a moment and suddenly thought of a crazy idea. The blonde removed her flip-flops, lifted Anna's covers and swiftly slipped inside. Whenever she was few inches closed to Anna, she began to softly whisper into her friend's ear.

"Hey, c'mon lets just have one set. A quick surf session before school. Please say 'yes.' Anna let out a grunt that sounded like more of a grumpy old man than a rebellious fifteen-year-old.

Elsa patiently recited her chant a few times again until she finally hypnotized Anna into finally saying, 'yes.'

"Yes, let's go surfing," Anna replied softly.

"Really?" Elsa blinked twice. "Whoa, _this_ shit really works?" She raised an eyebrow.

Suddenly, Anna began to shift sleeping positions and turned to the other side to face Elsa, not knowing her crazy blonde friend was in the same bed as her. The redhead slowly opened her teal eyes but, quickly shot them wide like a shocked barn owl.

As for Elsa, she cast an embarrassed and apologetic grin. "Good morning, again."

"Elsa!" Anna screamed out her name while jolting up from her bed. "Are you…" Just as the startled redhead was about to continue talking she lost her balance while wrestling with her covers and suddenly fell off her bed.

"Anna!" Elsa crawled across Anna's bed until she was right off the edge to find her redhead friend laying on the floor covered in blankets and pillows. The blonde couldn't help it but let out her signature genuine smile at her clumsy friend.

Anna pushed away a pillow that was blinding her sight. Whenever she regained her vision, she spotted Elsa looking down at her with a pure smile and caring crystal blue eyes. Somehow, the redhead felt a sudden tug inside her chest, more like her heart just suddenly skipped a beat whenever she saw her friend's face. She felt a sudden spark illuminating inside her soul, an electric touch that didn't require any sense of physical connection from another force. A simple smile or stare between two souls was enough to experience that sudden unknown rush that was softly boiling deep inside someone, a young beautiful bird taking her first flight into the great unknown which we call Love.

"Hey, Anna. Are you okay? You're completely frozen down there."

Anna was paralyzed. The sound of Elsa's voice was like a spell, somewhat soothing and yet can be dangerous in which can make you completely forget about the reality and dive into a trance. A melody that could be sung by one cursing siren or goddess that can make you absent-minded. But, somehow the sudden poke in the forehead can magically wake up the love drunk surfer to come back to reality.

"Huh, you said something?" Anna blinked twice soon realized Elsa's face has changed from a gorgeous glowing goddess to something close to one of the old lunch ladies from school glaring back at her dead straight in the eye. "Dude, why are you looking at me like that?" The redhead raised an eyebrow.

"So are we going surfing or not?" Elsa crossed her arms over her chest.

Anna paused. A little bit buzzed from the sudden emotional-rush that was chemically built up inside her system. While recovering from this so-called sensation known as 'Love,' the redhead slowly lifted herself from the floor and started tossing her pillows back onto her bed. Elsa quietly watched Anna picking up her covers before tossing it like her pillows.

"Please, don't tell me you're going back to bed." The blonde tilted her head.

"Let me go get my board and meet you outside," Anna said tiredly, but, returned a grin at Elsa.

Soon Elsa's crystal blue eyes became wide as a child walking into a toy store, mesmerizing and excited to witness the sight of endless toys and games. But, in Elsa's case, she was very enthusiastic to finally have the chance to catch at least a wave with her best friend.

"Great! Race ya," Elsa jumped out of Anna's bed and dashed toward the same window she entered from.

"Hey, hey! Els, be careful climbing back down there. Sheez." Anna ran up to her as she watched the brave blonde exit out of her room.

"C'mon, Anna this isn't my first time using your bedroom window as a back door for everything." Elsa smiled at her while having one leg over the window sill.

"Yeah, I know dude. Act like the prince from the story Rapunzel, climbing up my house and entering my bedroom window like a balcony." Anna rolled her eyes.

"Oh please, don't act like you don't enjoy it whenever I come and visit you this way. I know you love it, _princess_." Elsa grinned mischievously.

Anna's cheek quickly turned red over the words that escaped out of Elsa's lips. "Sure whatever you said, _my_ crazy knight in boardshorts and coconut board wax." The redhead returned a smile.

"What was that? You need to practice on your comebacks." Elsa laughed.

"Speaks for yourself, what's with you being so hopelessly romantic?" Anna raised a brow.

"Questions. Questions," Elsa waved her hand like she was shooing away someone she doesn't want to deal with. "Now gear up and I'll meet you out front. Oh, also bring extra clothes for school. We might not come back to your house later."

Anna continued raising an eyebrow at her strange friend. "Why is that?"

Elsa chuckled. "Less questions, more hustling. You'll see why when you're outside."

Before Anna can respond, Elsa already climbed out of the window. The redhead shook her head and went ahead grabbing her bathing suit from her closet. She quickly changed, slipped on a large T-shirt while putting on her boardshorts. Then picked up an empty backpack to store extra clothes inside. Before she forgets, the young surfer dug up one of her rash guards as she swiftly left her bedroom. With great patience and stealth, Anna tiptoed past her parents' bedroom before heading downstairs. She continued navigating through her house like a little mouse until she entered the garage where she stored her board. Without opening the main garage door, she exited out of the side door.

Whenever she was outside, Elsa was waiting for her - carrying a jolly smile on her face. Anna raised an eyebrow once again at her. Instead, Elsa waved at her to come and follow her as the blonde went on walking away from Anna's place, heading down the street.

"So tell why you wanted me to bring extra clothes? Are we running away together?" Anna let out a sarcastic chuckle.

Elsa let out a laugh. "You're really something, aren't you. No, we're not. Plus dunno how our families will feel if we do. Where would we go?" The blonde looked at Anna for an answer.

"I've heard of an awesome surf town called Lani. We can move there together, what do you say?" Anna responded. In return, Elsa continued laughing. "What? You asked." Anna gave her a soft punch on her arm.

"Maybe someday we'll both visit that town, what do you say?" Elsa stopped laughing and simply smiled back at her.

"Sounds like a plan," Anna gave Elsa a gentle pat on the back several times until her hand stopped and brushed away. Her teal blue eyes widened whenever she saw Elsa pointing at the large SUV in front of them. The blonde posed right by the white sporty vehicle like a showgirl presenting it to Anna as if the redhead just won a snazzy prize.

"Tada! Now we don't have to ride on our bikes or skateboards to the beach. We can go on long drives and check out those other beaches we've been itching to check out!" Elsa explained. "So whatcha thinking?"

Anna was speechless until Elsa asked her to say something in return, the blonde wanted to know if her young friend was at least processing what's going on.

"Dude! No way, your old man finally handed down his Rover to you? That is fuckin' awesome!" Anna shouted in delight, loud enough to wake up the neighborhood.

"Shhh!" Elsa placed her index finger between her lips, signaling Anna to be quiet. "Are you stupid? C'mon let's get going before one of your neighbors yell at you again."

Anna walked up to the Rover and met up with Elsa where she already had the trunk window opened. Her own surfboard was sticking out of the car and helped Anna safely store hers inside. Then each girl walked to their side of the SUV, opening their doors and both jumped inside.

"Now don't blame me, it was you that caused me to shout out loud that one time. You know I am afraid of spiders. And your crazy ass had to show me that daddy long legs on top of my roof." Elsa just laughed, turned on the engine and smoothly left the curb before heading down Anna's street. "That wasn't funny you know." The redhead shook her head and goosebumps in her system.

"Don't forget you're afraid of heights too. Which I can't wrap my brain around because you managed to climb with me during our mountain hikes, climbing trees, rock climbing and trying to climb on top of your house's roof. You're definitely one crazy person, Anna Anker."

"And you still hang out with me, Elsa Anderson," Anna laughed while slouching, relaxing on the passenger seat.

"Yeah, you're right," Elsa kept her left hand on the steering wheel and used her free arm to wrapped Anna's neck and pulled her in for a side hug. "You'll forever be my crazy coconut head friend," The blonde nozzled the side of her head against Anna like a lioness sharing a loving gesture to her faithful company.

Anna's cheeks turned red again. As much as she enjoyed their little morning moment, she didn't want Elsa to be distracted from her driving. "Okay, Els, stop it and keep your crazy eyes on the road would ya?"

"Okay, okay," Elsa laughed.

After Anna let out a sigh, there was a brief pause between the girls until Elsa decided to add in something.

"Hey remember that promise we made whenever we were kids?" The blonde kept her eyes on the road.

Anna looked at Elsa with eyes filled with wonders compared to the blonde's pure and yet serious set of crystal blue eyes. "Yeah, but, which one?" The redhead returned a grin.

Elsa took a glance and saw Anna's foolish expression covering her freckled face. The blonde wrinkled up her nose and raised a brow. "Whatcha mean 'which one'? You know the one we made years ago."

"Years ago? Dude, you need to be more specific than that," Anna laughed.

Elsa grunted while keeping her eyes on the road. Before she continued to speak, she had to make a turn down a busy street before entering the main roadway toward the town's popular beach spot, Sky Cove. A crescent-shaped beach outside from Hesson Shields that opened up its arms towards the ocean with its white sandy shoreline, hilltop sand dunes and grassy fields with tall grass blades dancing to the ocean breeze.

"You know the one we made during our camping trip to one of your dad's favorite beaches," Elsa tried to recall.

"Still not helping Elsa, my dad had a lot of favorite beaches," Anna responded. Elsa let out another grunt. "Okay calm down, my blonde caveman friend, are you talking about the first time my family took you during one of our camping-surfing trips?" Elsa nodded. "That was by Salty Moon Beach. Are you talking about our 'Golden Promise?'"

Elsa nodded. "No matter what happens in our lives…"

"We'll always, and forever be friends till the very end." The girls both said in unison.

Anna chuckled and soon to noticed Elsa took hold of her hand and gave it a squeeze. Another wave of that chemical emotional reaction happened again. The redhead couldn't help it but turned to face to see the town passing by. A love drunk fool on a Friday morning looking as red as a fat man with a sunburnt beer belly. Elsa never let go of Anna's hand until she had to release it to put it back on the steering wheel with her other hand in order to make a sharp turn that led to the shoreline's main parking lot. When Elsa cut off the engine of the Rover, everything around Anna came to a full stop, but, her heart continued to beat rapidly. From there, on that one fateful day before summer break, Anna finally concluded she was falling for her best friend.

* * *

The ocean was forming barrels off the shoreline where Anna stood. An endless supply of waves during that beautiful morning. The older surfer scanned around her surrounds and she concluded she was the only one up just to catch some sets before her shift at the Pelican's Nest. Unlike Anna, the other locals, they had to gather up their belongings and drive up to the nearest shoreline. This redhead has the shore right by her backyard and it was the best incentive of this so-called long term investment. After leaving the lime life of the professional sports world, Anna decided to settle down in the quiet town without anyone knowing who she was. She wanted a clean slate and Lani looked like the perfect town to help her start a new chapter.

Of course, she could have returned to Hesson Shields for everything that she has gone through but she didn't want to open up a can of worms that were mainly tragedies afterward those years of isolation from those closest to her.

The lonely redhead didn't waste any more time, picked up her board, and began walking down her backyard. At the edge of her property was a white picket fence where a door was closed to prevent anyone or anything coming in from the beach. She opened up the fence door and climbed down a zig-zagged flight of stairs that led her straight to the sand floors of the beach. From there she continued walking down the shore until she found a nice spot to lay down her board.

Her hand reached down her boardshort pockets and took out the board wax inside a small zip-lock bag. She opened up the bag, held the wax while her nose took a whiff of the fake tropical coconut nut scent, and began waxing her board. She guided her hand to go up and down the body of the fiberglass until the surface was painted over with wax.

"Alright, just only a couple of sessions and then off to work," The redhead told herself while strapping the bracelet and rope attached to her board and wrapped it around her ankle. In a moment, the surfer picked up her board and dashed straight into the water.

Back over the cliffside, Elsa left the backyard patio and walked across the field to watch the ocean waves roaring in the distance. While admiring the view from high above, she noticed a lone surfer paddling out into the blue blanket underneath a canvas of bleeding mango and jasmine yellow colors across the sky. The blonde tried to make out who might the surfer be with her eyes squinted together. Just the hair color of the surfer quickly gave a way of the surfer's identity as the blonde assumed it was her old childhood friend.

Even though it's been years since they last seen each other, the tension between each other still felt fresh like they were teenagers once again.

And yet, the rush of emotions crashed like waves hitting a nearby shoreline's bedded rocks, confused on how to act or what to say between each other. They were completely paralyzed from the start whenever they first met after all these years while their surroundings complete faded into the background.

While Elsa continued to watch Anna paddling out in the great big blue, she noticed a nice swell forming at the back end and soon swiftly began to march towards where Anna soon paused from paddling. The blonde watched the redhead taking a moment to watch the wave coming towards until the surfer turned her body and board around. Whenever the wave was towering over the surfer a few yards away, Anna quickly stood up on her board and began to glide down the blanket of blue.

"Same old free spirit," Elsa couldn't help it but smile straight at her friend. From the brilliant sight of her old friend still surfing after all these years. At the back of her mind, she wasn't oblivious from the sight of Anna missing her left leg, of course, she was curious and concern of the redhead's past and current well-being. And yet what's buzzing inside her mind at that very moment was the idea of getting back on a surfboard. And fast!

* * *

 **Author's Note: I want to start off greeting everyone a Happy New Year! I wanted to upload something because it's been a while and to show I am still writing up this story. The end of last year was a definite roller coaster, had to take a break from writing to deal with personal matters (Family and Moving). Hopefully, after settling some things in my life, I can reset my writing/posting schedule. Many thanks to those who stuck around for the ride! Stay tune for more!**


	7. Chapter 7 - No Changing Tides

**WARNING: Some strong use of profanity - Rated M**

* * *

Waves were playfully crashing against wooden pillars which held up a local pier that extended beyond the boardwalk right by Scarlet Bay and into a blanket of blue. The ocean was gentle that faithful morning, with an array of warm-colored tones with a splash of arctic navy blue and a hint of snowy white. Beyond the horizon, the friendly sun was rising to help shine a light for the locals to seize the day.

On the bay's sandy shoreline, there were a few surfers already on-site catching the first morning waves as if it was their daily routine or ritual to start off their day. One of them was an energetic blonde in her thirties carrying a giant grin on her fair skin face. Unlike the other surfers wearing wet suits that hour, the blonde was bravely fighting the cold with a pair of boardshorts and a short sleeve rash guard underneath her two-piece. She didn't let the low temperature bother her while pushing herself up and confidently stand on her board after catching a chummy wave that was cruising behind her.

From beyond the waters, the blonde surfer saw another woman, a couple of years younger than her waving back at her while carrying a little child. Right by the woman's side was another child, a bit older than the little one. He was doing the same thing the other woman was doing, waving and cheering at the blonde from the beach. The blonde couldn't help it, but let out a burst of laughter while waving back at her family.

After a few sets, the blonde caught her last wave that guided her back to shore. Whenever the wave died out before hitting the sandy beach, the blonde hopped off her broad, picked it up and jogged up to where her family.

"Hey, the swells this morning are amazing. You should go try them?" The blonde gently placed her surfboard onto the ground nearby the blanket where her wife was sitting down with their two sons.

"Maybe you should give Connor a lesson or two, I bet he likes to learn from his crazy mum," The blonde's wife laughed after taking a quick photo of her.

"C'mon Jane, when was the last time you surfed?"

"Elsa, do you think this body is capable to surf after having two boys?" Jane used both of her index fingers pointing straight at her belly. "Plus, I don't feel comfortable wearing a two-piece."

"Who said you had to wear something while surfing?" Elsa grinned mischievously that caused Jane to blush, grabbed the boys' beach ball and threw it at her. "Hey, what was that for?" The blonde chuckled.

"Elsa Kara Anderson! We have kids around us." Jane explained while having her arms crossed over her chest. "Plus like I said, I don't think my body looks good in any bathing suit after getting this scar on my belly."

Elsa saw the sudden sadness filling up her wife's eyes. Then she looked over her shoulders to see her two sons happily building a small castle together. Theo was only two, now walking, and her eldest son Connor was just eight and yet the boy's level of maturity was surprising for both parents. Kids at his age would be acting foolish, causing trouble for both of them and toying with his younger brother. But, the young boy was amazingly kind-hearted like Jane and clever like Elsa.

The blonde couldn't help it but smiled at them while taking Jane's hands with both hands. "You'll always beautiful to me no matter what you look like. I will always love you until the very end." Elsa saw Jane's eyes lighting up. "Plus, you were the one that said 'you married me because of my good looks.'

Jane's eyes opened wide and quickly threw a soft punch at Elsa's arm. "Oh my goodness! Why did I marry a stinker like you?" When Jane was about to continue, she was suddenly pulled forward and her soft lips met Elsa's in seconds. The brunette closed her sapphire eyes as she could taste the salty ocean water between her wife's angelic and warm lips.

"Eww! Mummy and Mama are kissing." The two women's lips slowly departed ways and both let out a chuckle or two whenever they heard their eldest son in the background.

"For stinker, you can be very romantic the best of times," Jane added with a genuine smile.

"I guess that's one of the reasons you said 'yes' years ago?" Elsa grinned with one raised eyebrow looking very confident.

Jane wrinkled her nose and reached for her Elsa's face. With her hands, she began pinching her wife's cheeks. "Whatever you say my obnoxious goofball." The brunette couldn't help it, but cast a grin on her face whenever she saw Elsa looking a bit annoyed like a little child trying to dodge her mother's kisses.

After their brief and intimate moment between each other, Elsa grabbed an extra towel and wrapped it around her body to keep herself warm. For someone that can withstand the cold, she had to be smart and be careful with her health. The blonde sat along with Jane as they continued to watch their sons build their little sandcastle.

"You know we should go on a nice vacation. Maybe a week or two somewhere." Jane broke the silence between each other and looked at Elsa.

"Just us two or with the boys?" Elsa asked.

"Why do you have something in mind for just us two?" Jane stared at her with surprisingly seductive eyes causing the blonde to blush. Elsa simply shook her head 'no.' "I meant a family vacation, silly."

"Where? Should we take them camping or…?"

"I was thinking of showing you and the boys, one of the places I visited during one of my earlier assignments." Jane didn't look at Elsa except focused her attention at the rising sun that was completely over the horizon line that separated the ocean and the sky.

"And that would be?" Elsa followed her wife's gaze and stared at the same landscape.

"Lani."

* * *

Elsa slowly backed away from the sight of Anna happily surfing alone in the great big blue. There was a sudden shift in her heart from having this burst of energy to having this bittersweet feeling pulling every heartstring inside her. The woman sat back down on the patio and went back to drinking her morning tea. While her ears were still listening to the playful melody of the roaring waves in the distance, her crystal blue eyes were fixated at the sky that was shifting from a warm gradient color to a shade of blue. She reached for her late wife's journal where she last left it. Her hand gently pulled the string that kept the book together and slowly opened it to reveal the filled up written pages. Even though it was one of the most fragile and dearest things to Elsa, the woman decided to take it along during her trip to Lani. The journal was completely Jane's diary and assignment journal, but, to Elsa, it was like a compass or guide book to help her navigate through this Great Unknown which was the town of Lani.

Fingers flipped through the pages, some were jotted down notes and sketches Jane has written down or drew, yes, Elsa's wife knew how to draw before she picked up a camera. Jane used to tell her she used to love to draw landscapes and sketched out whatever she found during her nature walks. Since then the artist and environmentalist to be shifted into the art of photography. It was a faster way to record her journeys than to sit down and rely on a piece of paper and pencil to collect and draw out her thoughts.

But on some of the pages kept small polaroids which Jane managed to take during her trip to Lani. Some of the colors were fading away, but, Elsa could make out what some of the shots were. There were a few shots of waterfalls, a trail up a mountainside, another trail inside a jungle with a person, maybe a local, in the center of the photo.

"Huh, I wondered if that person still lives here?" Elsa raised an eyebrow at the short husky built man that had his back facing the camera as he navigated through the forest of tropical trees, enlarged roots and curtains of hanging vines.

When she turned into another page, the sound of a never-ending familiar sound broke the soundscape between Elsa and the sea in minutes. The blonde reached into her short's pocket and revealed her phone underneath the morning light.

Dad. Those three letter words annoyingly illuminating on the glass screen and screaming at Elsa's face.

The blonde simply let out a grunt before picking up the call. "Hello." She said nothing else.

"Hello, sweetheart! I know I shouldn't be calling you while you're on vacation, but, this is my father side talking to you. So how was your first day yesterday?" Elsa father asked kindly.

Elsa paused, collecting her thoughts before speaking. "It was interesting."

"Really, how so?" Agnarr sounded curious from the other end of the conversation.

Where to start?

Which one is more important than the other. Should I start off how we ended up getting a flat tire on our first day or how I bumped into my old childhood friend, which I never saw or talked to in a million years! Elsa pondered while starting to pace around the backyard like a confused businesswoman whether to invest in an important partnership or not.

"Elsa are you still there, pumpkin?" Even though his daughter is finally a grown woman and has her own family to take care of, Agnarr will never stop calling Elsa with the various nicknames he and his late wife have thought of for her.

"Yeah, I'm still here. I was just distracted at the view and the surfer...I meant surf. The-the ocean!" Elsa nearly lied to the point she ended up being tongue-tied.

"Really! How're the waters? You used to love surfing, you should get back on a surfboard again and maybe teach the boys a lesson or two." Agnarr happily encouraged her with some suggestions.

Why _now_ you encourage me to go back into surfing again? You never approved of me doing it whenever I was young. Why now? Elsa remembered the moments where Agnarr repeatedly told her not to waste away her life like a beach bum hanging out on the beach for the whole day surfing and hanging out with _those people_ he used to say without air quotes.

What pulled one of her heartstrings was how he disapproved of her friend, Anna, for all those years. Until one particular later afternoon talk with her old man.

Just because Anna lived a different lifestyle than Elsa and Agnarr, didn't make Anna and her family any else useless to society or a distraction which some of Agnarr's colleagues used to call those who hung out on the beach all day and done nothing but surf and "waste away their lives"

But deep inside, there's more to surfing than meets the eyes.

* * *

Elsa wiped the sweat off her forehead after removing her surfboard from the back of her father's old Rover, which was hers forever. Well, maybe not forever, as much she loved the massive white lug nut, she knew she'll need to invest in a better performing and better-looking car in the future. That's if she's getting into one of the country's best architectural schools after graduating high school.

"Please don't tell you skipped school today."

The blonde looked over her shoulders to see her father, Agnarr with two of the estate's staffs, Gerda and Kai standing behind him.

My father and his entourage. Elsa concluded while shifting her attention back at the car, gathering the rest of belongings.

"Don't ignore me, young lady, did you skip school again to go surfing with that redhead delinquent _friend_ of yours?" Agnarr narrowed his emerald eyes at his daughter, hands on his hips like if he was Mr. _Mean_ Superman while standing on the front steps of the Andersons' home.

"Did the school call the house or your cell phone today?" Elsa didn't look over her shoulders and walked to the passenger door of the Rover after leaning her board against the trunk side.

Agnarr blinked twice. The old man reached for his phone and scanned through his list of recent calls and voicemails, no message or call from Elsa's school. Then he looked at his two main staffs for any update, both said 'no,' with serious and truthful faces.

"No, I didn't get any calls from your school today." He replied back at Elsa.

Elsa let out a tired and annoyed sigh after putting on her backpack before locking her car. She went over and picked up her board before walking up the flight of stairs that led to two grand double doors into the estate.

"Then you have nothing to worry about." Elsa walked passed her father without giving the man a chance to see her beautiful young face.

"Elsa," Agnarr was never strict from the beginning of their conversation but, carried a tone which the blonde grew to know and became jaded too. Elsa only witnessed how her father would talk and react during harsh and aggressive situations where the man can yell and lose his cool. But, when it came to their casual arguments or _these situations_ , the man was calm and firm towards his daughter. There was a strong scene of weariness and longing tone between the man's lips. His daughter was turning seventeen soon and the next thing he knew, he'll be seeing her walk down the stage to receive her high school diploma and off to college before his very eyes.

"Also, how many times I told you, Anna isn't a delinquent, she's my best friend," Elsa paused and finally looked up to meet her father's stare. "But, thanks for finally acknowledging her as my friend. Took you long enough. Not all surfers are beach bums, they are more than what fucked society sees them nowadays." The last sentence caused the three adults to flinch while Elsa opened one of the double doors and walked inside without a care.

Agnarr shook his head and ran after his stubborn daughter with Kai and Gerda behind him. "Elsa, can we please talk for a moment." Elsa paused in the middle of the foyer before climbing up the grand flight of stairs to her bedroom. "I like to speak with you alone in my studies if you let me?" The old widower added.

Elsa shrugged her shoulders. "Fine, whatever you say. Can it be quick though? I just came home to drop off my things and meet up with Anna in an hour." She kindly gave Kai her belongings, including her surfboard for him to put away in her bedroom. Of course, her board should be placed outside her room's balcony to melt away the remaining board wax.

Elsa's father didn't raise an eyebrow or had his arms crossed over his chest. Like before, this wasn't the single father's first rodeo dealing with his teenage daughter. At the back of his mind, he sometimes fantasies about how life would be if his late wife and son was still around.

Would he be tag-teaming with his wife dealing with two reckless teenagers at home? They would be the best good cop, bad cop parents of all time.

"I promise I won't take most of your busy schedule." He placed his hand over his heart, sealing a scout's honor. In return, the blonde gave her father a nod.

The Andersons walked into a spacious room that was completely surrounded by walls of books stored away in towering bookcases and hung up picture frames of famous architectural designs and blueprints. A majority of those prints were either hand-drawn or laid out on the computer by the man that stood behind Elsa.

"Let's sit down over here," Elsa looked over her shoulders to see Agnarr not standing behind his desk that was pushed against the wall, instead decided to sit on one of the chairs that looked over a grand view of the ocean through the high scale windows. Between the two chairs was a small circular coffee table decorated with architectural books to magazines, one of the covers had a picture of Agnarr on it.

"So what is it you want to talk about?" Elsa moved her long braided blonde hair over her left shoulder, where each hair strain carried a hint of saltwater.

Agnarr paused for a moment and gazed at the horizon line that separated the ocean and sky. Somehow the lonely old man used to feel like he was the ocean and the sky was his late wife. How he desired to be with her once again, but, those days shifted whenever he noticed he missed all those years raising Elsa by himself. Of course, he had help with the staff around the estate, but, since now Elsa was a year away before leaving high school and moving away for college, the man felt he was the ocean once again and Elsa was the sky that was so hard to reach.

"When are you going to take your _friend_ to a nice dinner around town?"

Elsa eyes widen like a frighten barn owl. She shifted her body away from him like his sudden wave of words that deluged out of his mouth, struck her like an unexpected force that would knock her down to the ground and sweep her away. "Wait what?"

The old man looked at her with his firm emerald eyes. "I see how _you_ are when it comes to Anna. I have no problem who you like, admire or love, sweetheart. Love can be a powerful thing. Wondrous actually, but, can be dangerous."

Elsa blinked twice, even though her cheeks were slowly turning rosy red and the warmth traveled up to ears that also turned to the same shade of red. Then she avoided any sudden eye contact from her father, instead, she focused her attention on the ocean view in front of her. The sun was slowly setting for the day, gradually revealing those iconic warm tones that washed across the canvas sky. Some of the shade of orange was similar to Anna's hair, that quickly caused the hair on the back of Elsa's neck to stand.

The energetic burst sensation that quickly dragged your heart and brain through a spiraling vortex ride that only lasted a brief minute or less that took you straight to Cloud 9. A sudden high for an instant. And yet, Elsa was trying to stop herself from going to that particular strange trip.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Dad. Why do you even talk about _her_? You just called her a delinquent a moment ago." She bluntly stated and yet the word 'Liar' was stamped all over her forehead. Agnarr looked at his daughter, the sudden expression that painted across her face cause him to let out a chuckle or two. "Now what's so funny?" Elsa raised an eyebrow.

Whenever Agnarr collected himself and settle back on his chair. "Look Elsa, there's nothing bad of being in love, just be cautious about it alright? There's no shame of loving someone you deeply care about."

Elsa saw the grand smile on his face, the sudden glow illuminating from his face, it wasn't the sun that was casting late afternoon rays into the room it was this unknown source that can shine a spotlight on someone's face and show that person's true colors. Deep inside, she took account of her father's words.

The blonde truly and deeply cared for Anna as much as she cared about their love of surfing. Not in a million years would she have thought a sport, no, not only a lifestyle but a crazy-good movement that can put two unexpected strangers into a journey where they tested out their limits together as friends. The two of them were a force of nature, according to Anna's adopted father. And that, same goes to whenever it came to love.

"Now don't you have a party to attend?" Agnarr snapped Elsa back to reality after going into a brief reflection trip.

"Um yeah, I should wash up? But, then again Anna and I are going night surfing." Elsa explained.

Agnarr shook his head and let out another chuckle before getting up from his seat. "You with surfing. I'll never understand. Then again, maybe you got your love of the ocean from your mother."

Elsa looked up at Agnarr and saw the bittersweet gaze in his emerald eyes. "You miss her, don't you? Jakob too?"

Agnarr quietly nodded. "Your mother was completely born and raised by the ocean. I grew up on a farm in the middle of nowhere before I met her. Now looking back, I won't be surprised if your little brother picked up surfing too. He was your little shadow after all whenever you two were little." He paused for a moment before collecting his thoughts. "I missed them everyday…"

Just as Elsa got up from her chair, wanting to leave, she stood behind her father and place a hand over his shoulder. Agnarr looked up to meet his daughter's crystal blue eyes. Very similar to his late wife and son. A little gift that was left behind for him to remember about them. Elsa was everything he had left and won't let anything come between them no matter what.

He simply doesn't want to lose another loved one.

"I miss them too," Elsa said softly while giving Agnarr a hug where she embraced his neck while placing her chin on his shoulder.

Agnarr let out a satisfied sigh. "I love you." He lifted his hand and patted Elsa's head.

"Love you too, pops." Elsa lets go of her embrace and walked towards the doors.

"Hold on a second." Elsa paused and turned around to see Agnarr standing up. "Maybe whenever _you're_ free or whenever I'm up to it, we can go surfing sometimes. What do you say?" The old man asked kindly while casting an awkward grin.

Elsa took a moment to let her father's words stunk in. The blonde never thought in a million years, her own old man would think of an idea. Of course, he was a typical businessman that would go golfing during the weekends or day off. But surfing, that was completely out of the blue.

You gotta be kidding me, Elsa thought. Just as she was gathering up a bunch of words to backfire at the man that called her friend and surfing a complete waste of time, she noticed the two black picture frames across her father's desk. One was an old photo of the entire Anderson family, a small family to be exact, it was just Elsa, her parents, and her little brother.

Next to the frame was another one, a lonely one, sadly, it was just a present-day photo just the two of them. Agnarr trying to carry a smile with his set of tired workaholic eyes with a hand over Elsa's shoulder where her face was painted with firm lips and her crystal blue eyes casting a shimmer of bittersweetness inside.

The young blonde simply bites her lip, quickly toss away those words that would break the poor widower's heart to pieces, and let out a deep sigh before speaking. "Sure, why not." Agnarr returned a smile, but Elsa kept a firm face in front of him.

"But, why the sudden change of heart? You usually called the lifestyle a waste of time. Sure, others would say it as a sport or a game, but, I see it as a religion or a sense of escape that really deserves some respect from others. It isn't child's play, some find it as a source to cope with their struggles or a gift for second chances." Elsa lets out another deep breath after finishing.

Agnarr walked up to Elsa and paused whenever he was just a foot away from her. "I wanted to try to understand _your_ passion. Like how I tried to learn how to love and understand why your mother was obsessed with the ocean. Same goes with your brother, I never knew a young child would ever be interested in cars at a young age. That's why I bought him books about cars and toys. That's why I tried to visit and spent time with your mother at her work or out in the field whenever I had the chance." The old man paused, collecting his other set of words before speaking again. Elsa noticed the small teardrops forming at the corners of his emerald eyes.

"Now, since they are gone, I felt like I missed spending time with my family. And I feel like I have forgotten you. We rarely spend much time as a family and you are all I got. I know _you_ don't find architecture or engineering fun or interesting. But, why not give your passion a try, as I've done in the past." Agnarr took a deep breath after he finished as well.

But, I love architecture and all you do in your job. I want to become an architect one day, Elsa confessed slightly in her head. Just like you, dad, but, better.

Surfing was her passion, but, architecture was her calling.

* * *

The sound of Agnarr's voice slowly became louder and clearer after her sudden trip from the past. Even though Elsa barely understood what her old man was blabbing about, she sensed no harsh words coming out of his mouth, more like his same old concerned and reassuring tone escaping from his lips and gently slip through the other end of her phone. All in all, Agnarr was being a father after all.

"Also, about the call yesterday. I repeatedly told your team to not call you. Don't worry, I was informed about the manner and gave your team a briefing…"

"Dad, it's alright. To be honest, I wasn't mad at them. Plus, don't be too hard on them."

"A mother in the office as well. Things will never change about you." Agnarr simply cut her off with a chuckle.

Elsa raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? My team is a group of grown adults, they know how to handle themselves."

"There's nothing wrong being a parent at the office. Especially towards your team, Elsa. I used to be like that with my first team of architects. It shows them that you're more human than something else. Like a force of nature." Agnarr kindly explained.

A force of nature. Elsa pondered over the sudden statement that was more than an eccentric nickname for her and Anna. It wasn't a comment, it was somehow the two old friends' identity. The two were a storm together, on a good day, the type of storm that they release joy and laughter. During bad days, it was all anger and tears.

"But, I digress and should leave you be. I bet you and the boys have a lot of plans to do today and the rest of your trip. Now please don't answer your phone, especially if it's one of your fellow junior architects." The old architect stated.

"Sure thing, I'll try my best…"

"No, you better not, please Elsa do it for yourself and the boys. You three deserves a good rest. Now go on, enjoy! See you soon, sweetheart. Bye!"

"Bye." Elsa let out a sigh whenever she pressed the red telephone icon on her phone and stored it back inside her back pocket.

She looked over her shoulders, soon to find Anna was no longer surfing in the water. Just as she secretly wanted to go back watching her, her father's words reminded her it was just a trip for her and the boys, nothing else. But why all of sudden, Anna slowly crept inside her mind - like little butterflies in a quiet meadow appearing with grace you hardly noticed their presence until you saw them with your eyes.

Somewhat how Elsa felt whenever her mind decided to project images of Anna, not the Anna she knew from her past, but, the Anna she just bumped into.

Why all of a sudden I want to just talk to her again, Elsa wondered. Her mind was absolutely baffled and annoyed at the sudden burst of emotions while her mind was happily trying to do cartwheels, feeling a bit jolly to finally see Anna again.

With an annoyed caveman grunt, she picked up her feet and headed back inside - without noticing she left her cup of tea outside on the patio floor. But suddenly returned to pick it up because she remembered she left Jane's journal outside. And she certainly doesn't want to ruin it.

After the call, Elsa decided to climb upstairs and wake up the boys. She tried calling both of their names until one of them decided to wake up. Theo lifted himself upright after shimming around his soft sleeping bag. He met his mother's genuine crystal blue eyes with sleepy sapphire orbs.

"Good morning, my love." Elsa smiled.

"Good morning, mommy," Theo returned with a smile.

"What do you say, I cook us up some breakfast before we head out for another adventure?" She asked him with a glimmer of excitement in her eyes.

Theo placed his index finger on his chin, showing off his thinking face and simply shook his head after a brief moment of pondering. "You shouldn't do that, mommy. We're on vacation! You need to relax. No cooking and no working. You should be having fun too. Not like yesterday when your work called you like that. Why did they call you anyway?" The blond crooked his head to the side.

Elsa felt guilty, her six-year-old was definitely honest and right. "My team was a bit lost about a project we have been doing for the last two months. It's another big one, but, no worries, grandpa helped out the manner." She let out an awkward chuckle.

"That's good! Grandpa to the rescue." Theo lift both of his hands in the air.

"Why not go back to the Pelican's Nest again?"

Elsa and Theo looked over to see Connor slowly sitting right up while scratching the back of his head and stretching his arms, trying to wake himself up. Soon to see his family staring back at him.

"What? Wendy said it was the best place in town for breakfast." He shrugged his shoulders.

* * *

Morning time at the Pelican's Nest wasn't different from having lunch or dinner there. A wave of customers came pouring in like how city folks were coming in and out of major train stations trying to go to their next destination to another. Some were workers, quickly grabbing their breakfast to go while some locals decided to grab a table with a view like the Andersons that wanted to grab three spots by the giant counter that also had a spectacular view of the water.

"Well, this is a pleasant surprise! How're our new locals doing today?" Cass came over to the Andersons with a pen and notepad, ready to jot down their orders.

"You know we're just visiting Lani," Elsa laughed nervously.

"Oh c'mon on now Elsa," Cass laughed. "Whenever you visit here, you'll always a local. Even if you just stay here for a day. Now, what can I get you three this morning?"

The Andersons, each gave their personal order to the owner without any trouble which put a smile on Cass's face - giving the woman an extra spring in her feet today. Nothing like servicing up hungry customers with a smile. She went ahead and placed the family's orders as she disappeared into the kitchen to help with her staff. After less than thirty minutes or so, Cass and one of her employee's came by to help her serve the Andersons orders.

"So what fun are you three planning to do today?" Cass tossed over her clean cloth over her shoulders while placing both hands on her hips looking like a superhero.

Elsa slowly put down her utensil after taking a small bite of her homemade waffles. Before speaking, she covered her mouth with her hand while finishing what was left to be chewed. "We were planning to go on a hike to search for some waterfalls."

Cass cast a smile with her emerald eyes glimmering with excitement. "Oh, I know one not far from here! But, you guys will need an actual local to take you there."

"Oh, that wouldn't be necessary, we don't mind doing a little exploring." Elsa returned a smile.

Cass waved one of her fingers while shaking her head. "No, it's best we have someone that knows the island in and out to show you guys the waterfall without getting lost. And I know one of my employee's that can help you guys. Now if she comes into work at least." The woman suddenly narrowed her eyes at the old truck that slowly entered the restaurant's parking lot and parked near her small hatchback.

"Ah, there she is." Elsa looked over her shoulders wherever Cass walked past her and exit out the restaurant to meet up with a lonely redhead that was strolling up the Nest's front patio before entering inside.

The blonde's eyes widen whenever she spotted the same surfer that rescued her boys yesterday.

You can't be serious? Elsa thought right after shifting her body around to face her unfinished waffles. She reached for the spray can of whip cream and began to build a tower of white foam. The boys stopped munching their food for a moment, Connor paused his fork midway before entering a piece of scrambled egg into his mouth while Theo was halfway crewing down a big bite of his bacon strip.

The two both exchanged looks while wondering if their mom was alright.

Whenever Elsa was satisfied with the amount of whip cream that nearly covered her two waffles, also to mention the cream was already touching her scrambled eggs and cut up fruits, the blonde went back to eating it. She tried her best to distract herself, not wanting to look over her shoulders or even listen to the two women's conversation.

Please not her, please not her, Elsa chanted inside her head as she was about to eat a big bite of her breakfast.

"Elsa!"

Damn. Elsa shouted silently with her eyes closed, but, soon opened slowly while turning around. Apparently the blonde was too distracted about her thoughts, she forgot she was in the middle of eating and nearly talked with her mouth opened. She saw Cass smile back at her while Anna had one eyebrow raised up with her electrifying teal-blue eyes meeting her crystal blue orbs.

"Sorry about that," Elsa apologized.

"Elsa, I like you to meet one of my employees. Anna. She's one of my best cooks all around…"

"Aunt Cass, you sure about that?"

The three women turned their attention at Lottie that was eavesdropping their conversation while storing away freshly washed table napkins into the counter.

"Lottie, don't you have some dishes to look at?" Anna cast a mischievous grin on her face.

Lottie narrowed her eyes at the redhead. "You think your hot stuff ain't ya?" She turned her back at her before strolling into the kitchen.

"Sorry about that, crazy co-workers, you love 'em and hate 'em" Anna chuckled.

"I heard that!" The women can hear Lottie's voice coming from the kitchen window.

Cass pinches the bridge of her nose. For a businesswoman and a single aunt - she had to deal with a bunch of adults that still acted like kids ranging from five to thirteen-year-olds at work.

"Are you two done? Or should I ask someone else?" Cass asked Anna while glaring back at her.

"What do you want me to do again?" Anna raised an eyebrow.

Cass grunted. "Do you mind giving the Andersons a tour to the waterfall nearby? I can count this as a day off for you. With pay, of course." She explained.

Anna paused for a moment. She looked over Cass's shoulders to see Elsa and the blonde's little offsprings. The redhead bites her lips. You're serious right? She thought.

"I'm not sure. Did you ask anyone else? How about Mater? The guy knows more of the island than I do." Anna's hands began to sweat.

"It's alright if Anna is busy today, we don't mind exploring the island by ourselves." Cass and Anna turned around to see Elsa smiling awkwardly at them. "We don't want to disturb anyone's at all."

Just as Anna was about to reply, Cass butted in with a response. "Nonsense, Anna will give you the tour! Now, don't be in a hurry to finish your breakfast, Anna here will simply wait for you. Won't you sweetie?" The older woman asked Anna kindly. Anna grunted and returned a nod. "That's my girl. If you girls need me, I'll be in the kitchen helping out."

"Hey, Cass let me help you while I'm still here."

"No Anna, you're on your day off. Stay away from the kitchen, dear. Now go on and have a good time." Cass was already heading into the kitchen with a spring in her feet after singing a little tone. The kitchen door swung open just in time for the owner to enter while Tiana was carrying a tray of freshly baked pastries to be displayed into the glass case in front of the counter for customers to choose and buy.

"She's in a jolly mood." The other woman comment while laying down the tray in front of Anna who was leaning against the counter.

"When is she never in a good mood?" Anna asked her.

"Aren't you suppose to clock in about now?" Tiana quickly changed the subject.

"Cass gave me the day off. Or somehow got a job change." Anna didn't go ahead and explain.

"She just now gave you a day off? How and why?" Tiana looked at Anna with a surprised look.

"Apparently I'm going to be a tour guide for a day." Anna let out a sigh.

Down the counter, Elsa could hear the two women's conversation from a few feet away while also listening to Theo talk about a recent documentary he shouldn't have been watching without her supervision. It was a nature documentary about animals living in Antarctica and there was a part where a sea lion devoured an emperor penguin. The blonde made out what the two women were somewhat talking about her and her family. Nothing rude, it's just Tiana somehow was asking a lot of questions whether Anna knew her.

"Wait, you knew each other since you were kids?" Tiana's eyes widen.

Anna slowly lifted herself up, walked away from the counter and stood by the railing that looked over the ocean. "Yeah, Elsa moved into the same town I grew up in whenever I was I guess young? I don't remember much, I just know we were just kids that loved to surf. That's pretty much who we were."

"Really, nothing more?" Tiana had her arms crossed over her chest.

Anna looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "What do you mean 'nothing more'?"

"Oh you know, like you two were once a couple I assume." Tiana wiggled her eyebrows.

The redhead's face turned redder than the shades of freshly grown tomatoes from Cass's garden that was growing from the side of the restaurant. "You gotta be kidding me. No, we never dated. Ever. Besides that one night during a surfing party..." Anna paused and realized she was opening up doors she locked up years ago which she promised to herself to never unlock ever again. She soon noticed Tiana's hazel eyes continued to grow wider. "Forget it, I am not going there."

"Going where? You were about to tell me a story. It sounds like a juicy love story." Tiana's smile stretched from ear to ear.

"I love me a juicy love story!"

Anna flinched while Tiana cast a shocked face. Both women turned around to see their friend Lottie sitting down by an empty table with her elbows perched on top of the surface while her arms and hands held up her head. She basically looked like a high school teenager eager to hear the latest gossip of 'who did who or who's dating who.'

"C'mon, tell me the story!" Lottie replied impatiently.

"Nothing Lottie, go back to work." Anna glared at her.

Lottie lifted herself up. "Who are you telling me to go back to work? You're not my boss."

Just as the Southern blonde was about to add in something, Anna focused her attention at the Andersons who just finished their breakfast and finished paying Cass. The older woman found Anna and waved at her to come over.

"Hold that thought, Lottie, duty calls." Anna let out a sigh.

Tiana walked up and placed a hand on Anna's shoulder. "Go on and have a good time."

Anna saw the smile on her friend's face and returned a similar hopeful smile as well.

* * *

Anna caught up with the Andersons where all four stood by the family's rented Wrangler. While Elsa was busy looking for her keys and the boys somehow couldn't stop and stare at their redhead tour guide. The brothers both exchanged looks whenever they came to look down at Anna's missing left leg. Anna shifted her gaze at Elsa and soon to notice the brothers staring down her leg.

Anna saw their curious faces, a familiar look she's used to when it came to kids. But it was a different story whenever it came to another adult staring at her from head to toe. She wasn't feeling insecure or awkward between the two, instead, their innocent faces put a small smile on her face.

"Looks weird, huh?" Anna earned their attention right away.

Connor looked up while Theo was the one to protest and shook his head. "No, it looks cool! You look like a superhero." The little blond's eyes lite up with excitement.

As for Connor, the boy cleared his throat before speaking. He noticed how the local surfer was smiling down at his little brother similar to how his late mother used to smile at them. Anna was a quiet person from how he saw her, the way her teal blue eyes were soft and calming like the ocean on a good day. She carried a small smile on her freckles face and yet he assumed she had a genuine smile that can light up a room.

"So how long have you been surfing, Anna? We can call you Anna right or should we call you…"

"You're welcome to call me Anna. I rarely let people call me by my last name." Anna returned a smile with a shoulder shrug.

I know it! She has an angelic smile. Connor concluded.

"And I been surfing since I was a little kid. Maybe whenever I was six or seven?" The surfer scratched the back of her head. "My adopted Dad was a big surfer and he always took me surfing whenever he was practicing for a tournament or just wanted a session before and after work." She explained with great respect for the man in her voice.

Anna saw the brunet nod his head, showing her that he understood her story. She noticed how he made a quick glance looking back at the ocean. The surfer wondered if the Anderson brothers surfed like their mother.

I wonder if she still surfs too, Anna pondered while focusing her attention at Elsa who finally found her keys from navigating through her travel bag.

"Found it!" Elsa raised her keys in the air. Soon her crystal blue eyes met Anna's. The way they looked at each her was nothing close to being strangers on a busy street right after bumping into each. It was, well, mostly like two old friends finally meeting each other again after how many years of not seeing each other basically.

How long has it been? Both women wondered silently.

Connor noticed the same expression on his mother's and Anna's faces, the same look they carried whenever Anna brought them home.

These two definitely knew each other, Connor concluded. But, why do they act so awkwardly around each other? Something happened to them a while back, I just know it.

"Psst!" Connor woke up from his thoughts, noticing Theo pulling his shirt while whispering. "Hey, why is mom staring at Anna like that? Does, grown-ups do this all the time?"

Connor raised an eyebrow at Theo. "I have no idea."

"So, the waterfall?" Anna raised an eyebrow at Elsa, the brave one to break the awkward wall between the two women.

Elsa blinked twice. "Oh right! Sorry about that, lost my train of thought there." She chuckled embarrassingly.

Maybe busy staring back at me instead, Anna commented silently in her mind. She walked over to Elsa where they were a few inches away from in each other. The redhead noticed the sudden change in Elsa's eyes, from a swell of calming waves suddenly became frighten as they became swaying furiously side to side.

The hairs behind Elsa's neck became to stand up as a small trail of sweat rained down her neck to her back while her breathing and heartbeat began to increase. Deep inside, her old teenage self wanted to quickly hug Anna, embrace her with illuminating warm touch and yet, her present self was strong enough to push back her emotions and pull her past self away.

"Do you want me to drive or you will?" Elsa asked Anna kindly.

Anna stared down at the car keys for a moment and shook her heads. "I think it's best for you to drive. You won't really experience Lani just chillin' in the passenger's seat. You gotta feel it, taste it, and see it in your own way." The redhead smiled.

Her smile, Elsa bite her lip while her eyes were glued again at Anna's set of teal orbs.

"There goes mommy again," Theo whispered to Connor who was still baffled at Elsa's strange behavior. But his older brother ignored him and poked his nose, a little gesture to kindly ask him to shut up for a moment.

Elsa nodded. "Right. I guess you'll be my navigator then." She returned a smile.

Damnit, that smile and those eyes! Anna quietly commented while controlling her composure. In return, she just shot Elsa a thumbs up and began leading herself into the passenger car. She noticed the boys following her and their mother into the Jeep, like little wolf cubs following their parent for a fun stroll into the woods or mountains. Connor managed to help himself up the SUV without a hassle. Anna saw Theo running around to her side of the car and had a brief moment of struggling to climb up.

The redhead surfer walked over and gave the little guy a hand. "Hold on, I got ya." She lifted Theo off the ground until his little feet were on the side steps and had one hand gripping the bar attached to the side of the car. "There ya go. Go on and put on your seatbelt, okay bud?"

When Theo was settled in his car seat and fasten his seatbelt, the boy gave Anna a thumbs up. Anna returned the same gesture too. Elsa was watching the two while glancing over at the rearview mirror. She couldn't help it but smile at the friendly gesture.

"Ready?" Elsa asked Anna after the redhead climbed up and put her seatbelt on. Anna gave her nodded.

In a few minutes when the engine roared, the four exited out of the parking lot and hopped onto the roadway as they drove off to see the rest of the town. Back in the restaurant, Cass watched them drive away as she let out a satisfying sigh.

"How much you wanna bet those two will end up as love birds?" Cass looked over her shoulders to see Lottie smiled like a goofball.

"Oh, believe me, I think those two have been for a while." Both women looked around to find Tiana grinned back them while drying up freshly washed glass cups. "Those two are just fools. Foolish love. Only thought they were just friends but, they were destined to be more than that."

* * *

 **Yes, I am back! Well, for a little while. I managed to finish up 2 more chapters including one. After that, it's back to writing more chapter outlines and the actual chapters for this story. If you're wondering where I've been, its just work and personal life getting in the way for my writing days. And you can say I was a bit distracted for a few months that I kind of regret getting into. Now I am back to the groove of things and hopefully, get this story rolling again. Many thanks to those who stuck around and welcome to my new readers. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and stay tune for more!**


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